Vitiligo is considered as an autoimmune disorder due to the generation and presence of autoantibodies directed against melanocyte antigens in the patients sera. Previous studies have revealed an increased incidence of organ-specific autoantibodies in vitiligo patients. A number of studies have demonstrated an increased frequency of thyroid autoantibodies in vitiligo patients and vitiligo is commonly seen in patients with clinical thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of antithyroid antibodies in vitiligo patients and to correlate the presence of these antibodies with factors such as sex, age, activity of the disease, duration of the disease and the type of vitiligo. Another aim of this study is to compare the incidence of abnormal thyroid function in those who have antithyroid antibody and those who don't.

One hundred and fifty seven vitiligo patients who visited vitiligo clinic in Samsung medical center from January of 1995 to November of 1996 were enrolled in this study. Detection and titration of antithyroid antibodies were performed by immunoradiometric assay.

Among 157 patients tested, 17(10.8%) patients had antithyroglobulin antibodies and 10(6.4%) patients had antimicrosomal antibodies. Five patients had both antibodies. Statistically meaningful data are as follows; 1) Antimicrosomal antibody appeared less frequently in patients of childhood-onset. 2) Antithyroglobulin antibody was detected more frequently in active disease. Fifty nine out of 157 patients were examined for thyroid function. Four out of 22 patients with antithyroid antibody had abnormal thyroid function. None out of 37 patients without antithyroid antibody had abnormal thyroid function.

The incidence of antithyroid antibodies according to onset age and activity is contradictory to previous reports, therefore large scaled study will be necessary to draw a conclusion.