Thyroid function and autoimmunity in HIV-infected women.

T he recent report on thyroid function and autoimmunity in HIV-infected is very interesting (1). Carvalho and cols. noted “an association between HAART and the development of AITD (1)”. In fact, effect of HAART on thyroid function has been proposed for many years. Madeddu and cols. noted “high prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism” in the patients receiving HAART (2). In relation to autoimmunity, there are many autoantibodies that may be seen in HIV-infected patients including “anti-cardiolipin, anti-beta2 GPI, anti-DNA, anti-small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP), anti-thyroglobulin, anti-thyroid peroxidase, antimyosin, and anti-erythropoietin antibodies (3)”. However, the role of autoantibodies in the development of hypothyroidism in patients receiving antiretroviral drugs has not been assessed (4). The finding of autoantibodies and use of HARRT might be only an accidental concomitant occurrence. In fact, it is proven that Graves’ disease, which is a well-known AITD, has an interrelationship with HIV infection in naïve cases (5).