Thyrogastric autoimmunity in a paediatric group of type I diabetics[AUTO-IMMUNITA TIREO-GASTRICA IN UNA POPOLAZIONE PEDIATRICA DI DIABETICI DI TIPO I]

In a group of 77 children with IDDM, significantly higher prevalences of serum MCHA and PCA (11.7% and 15.6%, respectively) were found than in controls of similar age. This confirms the tendency of type I diabetics to develop organ-specific thyrogastric antibodies. The greater incidence of PCA in the blood serum of MCHA-positive patients (50%) than in those with no MCHA (10.7%) also suggests a significant connection between thyroid and gastric autoimmunity in IDDM. However, the presence of circulating anti-thyroid antibodies in IDDM is not conclusive evidence of active thyroid pathology since no patient revealed a clear, clinical and/or biochemical picture of thyroid dysfunction. As yet, the significance of circulating PCA as an indication of atrophic gastritis has not been ascertained since not all PCA-positive patients have undergone gastroscopy.