Assessment of the factors involving in the development of hypothyroidism in HIV-infected patients: A case-control study

Increased prevalence of thyroid dysfunction has been reported in HIV-infected patients, and recent studies have shown hypothyroidism as the most common thyroid function abnormality in this population, especially after treatment with antiretroviral drugs (HAART). The aim of this study is to assess risk factors of hypothyroidism in HIVinfected patients in Iran. This case-control study was conducted among 15 hypothyroid (cases) and 70 euthyroid (control group) HIV-infected outpatients. Serum Free T4, Free T3, and TSH levels were measured, and data on age, sex, body mass index, opium addiction or injection of illicit drugs, duration of HIV infection and HAART, disease stage, CD4-cell count, opportunistic infection (OI) or malignancy, HCV co-infection, and drug use were collected. We found no association between hypothyroidism in HIV-infected patients and any parameters measured, and P value was not significant for receipt of HAART (0.141), CD4-cell count (0.094), duration of HIV infection (0.474), duration of HAART (0.418), HCV co-infection (0.146), OI (0.566), or receipt of rifampin (0.816). In this study, age, sex, HAART, mean CD4- cell count, duration of HIV infection, HCV co-infection, and OI were not significant risk factors of hypothyroidism in HIV-infected patients. The occurrence of hypothyroidism may be related to other factors or HIV infection itself. Therefore, hypothyroidism should be considered in all HIV-infected patients.