Background. Vitamin D is a hormone that is mainly produced in the skin upon ultraviolet B radiation exposure and has important influence on various organs. In recent years, data have been collected that vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in the development of various nonskeletal diseases, including autoimmune diseases. Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) is one of the most common organ-specific autoimmune endocrine diseases. It is characterized by increased level of antithyroid peroxidase and/or antithyroglobulin antibodies in blood, which often leads to thyroid dysfunction and structural changes of the gland. There is an opinion that vitamin D deficiency may be considered as an important risk factor for development of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, but data of various small studies are controversial. Despite the fact that Georgia is a sunny country, vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem here. Thyroid diseases, including the chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, are also very common in Georgia. The aim of our research was to compare the level of vitamin D between the patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and the healthy subjects. Methods. This retrospective study enrolled subjects, who were 18–70 years old and visited the clinics “Cortex” and “National Institute of Endocrinology” in 2018 or in 2019 from mid-spring to mid-summer. Data of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, antithyroid peroxidase antibodies, antithyroglobulin antibodies, thyroid ultrasonography, and 25(OH) vitamin D were retrospectively analysed based on medical history. In total, data of 1295 patients were collected. The statistical processing of data was performed through the SPSS 20 program. Results. The negative association between thyroid-stimulating hormone, antithyroid peroxidase antibodies, antithyroglobulin antibodies, heterogeneous parenchyma of thyroid gland, and vitamin D was found in women. Statistically significant association was not detected in men. Conclusions. Serum vitamin D is lower in women with autoimmune thyroiditis and primary hypothyroidism. Further studies are needed to evaluate the influence of vitamin D supplementation on thyroid autoantibody positivity or primary hypothyroidism.

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Autoimmune endocrine diseases represent widespread problem nowadays. Autoimmune endocrinopathies often occur together in the same person and are clusters, as autoimmune polyglandular diseases. Mostly one autoimmune endocrine disorder develops clinically earlier than other.According to the articles, published in the Pubmed and Google Scholar database, between several autoimmune endocrine diseases, autoimmune diabetes and autoimmune thyroid diseases coincidence often together, most likely due to shared genetic predisposition. Indeed, several loci and genes have been shown to contribute to the joint susceptibility to autoimmune diabetes and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Early identification and treatment of another autoimmune endocrine disease is very important and sometimes even life-saving. Early identification autoimmune thyroid disease when autoimmune diabetes is already diagnosed is recommended according new guidelines. (TCM-GMJ September 2017; 2(2):P28-P30)

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Vitamin D deficiency is a global problem, which has taken the form of apandemic. Existing data indicate that vitamin D is not only a nutrient. Ithas also a hormone-specific activity. Vitamin D is characterized by antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Chronic autoimmunethyroiditis is a disease of autoimmune genesis, in which lymphocyticinfiltration gradually destroys thyroid tissue. There are some evidencesabout vitamin D deficiency and the development of chronic autoimmunethyroiditis. The article has reviewed the current literature about the impactand the benefits of vitamin D on thyroid antibodies levels.