HLA in primary atrophic hypothyroidism and Hashimoto goitre.

The prevalence of HLA-B8 was found to be significantly increased in patients with primary atrophic (no goitre) hypothyroidism, but not in goitrous patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis, whether euthroid or hypothroid. There was no correlation between the occurrence of HLA-B8 and the presence of titres of thyroid antibodies at diagnosis or their persistence for at least three years after diagnosis.