It is often said that individuals with vitiligo are more likely to experience thyroid dysfunction. What do the studies say? Let's explore together the perspective of scientific literature on this matter.
Library
All Topics
Do individuals with vitiligo have an increased risk of developing thyroid problems?
Summary
Published November 26, 2024,
updated on November 26, 2024,
by
Pauline, Head of Scientific Communication
—
4 min read
Are thyroid diseases more common in people with vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a depigmenting skin disease that affects approximately 1% of the global population. It can affect both adults and children, regardless of their gender or skin colour. Most often, vitiligo manifests before the age of 30 and then progresses gradually. The characteristic white patches of this condition are due to the loss of melanocytes, the cells that synthesise skin pigment. Autoimmunity is suspected to play a major role in the etiology of vitiligo, as well as certain genetic factors.
Several studies have shown that individuals with vitiligo have an increased risk of developing a thyroid problem.
One can notably mention a review recently published on this subject, which listed 48 articles published between 1968 and 2012. These were interested in the existing link between vitiligo and thyroid problems. If we piece together the scientific studies, it ultimately results in over 5000 patients being included in the review, representing a very large sample. These research efforts have established an average prevalence of thyroid diseases in patients affected by vitiligo, as well as the associated relative risk. This is a statistical measure assessing the risk of an event occurring, in this case the development of a thyroid disease, in one group, here those affected by vitiligo, compared to another, here those not presenting vitiligo. The analysis of the 48 studies by the researchers shows a strong correlation between vitiligo and thyroid diseases.
15.1%
Patients suffering from vitiligo exhibit thyroid disease.
1.9
There is a higher risk of developing a thyroid disease when one is affected by vitiligo.
This increased risk primarily concerns autoimmune thyroid diseases, which are particularly common in individuals with vitiligo. Indeed, this same review estimated the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease, at 14.3% among individuals with vitiligo. From this, we can deduce that, among those suffering from both vitiligo and a thyroid disease, the thyroid disease is of autoimmune origin in 94.7% of cases. Furthermore, scientists have estimated that individuals with vitiligo are 2.5 times more likely to develop an autoimmune thyroid disease than others.
It was also noted in the journal that 20.8% of individuals with vitiligo possessed thyroid-specific autoantibodies, that is, immunological markers indicating autoimmunity. More specifically, these autoantibodies are "abnormal" antibodies that target the body and attack the thyroid gland. Their presence generally indicates an autoimmune disease of the thyroid.
The correlation between vitiligo and thyroid diseases, particularly those of autoimmune origin, is not surprising when considering that vitiligo itself has a strong autoimmune component. In both cases, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's cells. This similarity is largely based on shared genetic factors, such as the presence of specific alleles of the HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) complex, which predispose to several autoimmune diseases. A study recently published by SPRITZ and his team has indeed highlighted several shared genetic associations between vitiligo and certain autoimmune diseases, including thyroid diseases.
Genes associated with vitiligo and certain autoimmune diseases.
Source: SPRITZ R. & al. The Genetic Basis of Vitiligo. Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2021).
In light of the correlation between vitiligo and thyroid issues, health authorities strongly recommend screening for thyroid diseases in patients with vitiligo.
Sources
SPULS P. & al. The prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with vitiligo: a systematic review. British Journal of Dermatology. (2012).
BORRADORI L. & al. Dermatologie et infections sexuellement transmissibles. Elsevier Masson (2017).
EZZEDINE K. & al. Vitiligo: A Review. Dermatology (2020).
HARRIS J. & al. Vitiligo: Mechanisms of Pathogenesis and Treatment. Annual Review of Immunology (2020).
SPRITZ R. & al. The Genetic Basis of Vitiligo. Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2021).
Diagnostic
Understand your skin
and its complex needs.
