Generally, Turner syndrome (TS) increases the risk of developing autoimmune disorders. The genetic basis of this is unknown, but we do see a decrease in the CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio in the individuals. Developing an autoimmune disorder can have important implications. For instance, an autoimmune disorder such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis often leads to hypothyroidism and is most common among individuals with TS. As per Dr. Schweiger, the lifetime increased risk for thyroiditis among individuals with TS is approximately 30 percent.
In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the thyroid is attacked by the antibodies (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) by mistake. This is because the immune system becomes overactive and mistakes healthy body tissues as foreign and attacks them. Eventually, the gland would not be able to produce thyroid hormones that leads to hypothyroidism. Though whole process can take years to develop as a person has thyroiditis for about 10 years on average before they finally receive diagnoses.
Other autoimmune disease associated with TS include hyperthyroidism, celiac disease, type I diabetes, alopecia areata, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In this article, we will primarily focus on hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism associated with autoimmune thyroid disease that are reported to be higher among individuals with TS.