Objective: It is unclear whether Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease (often referred to as autoimmune thyroid disease, AITD) cluster to the same extent with other autoimmune disorders. Methods: We assessed adrenal, b-cell, celiac and gastric antibodies in a cohort of 523 adult patients with Graves' disease and 359 patients with Hashimoto's disease and compared their clustering.

Objective. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that sex hormones may play a role in the pathogenesis or clinical expression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studies on the effects of exogenous estrogens in RA patients have yielded contradictory results. We undertook this study to determine the effects of the selective estrogen receptor ␣ (ER␣) agonist Org 37663 in patients with RA, in terms of both its estrogenic effects and its ability to ameliorate disease activity.Methods. A 10-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, dosefinding, proof-of-concept trial was initiated to obtain data on the efficacy and safety of Org 37663 in postmenopausal female patients with RA who were receiving background treatment with either methotrexate or sulfasalazine. Patients were randomized to receive placebo or Org 37663 at doses of 4 mg/day, 15 mg/day, or 50 mg/week. The primary efficacy variable was the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28).Results. Org 37663 induced a clear biologic, estrogenic response in several organ systems, including a dose-related increase in levels of sex hormone binding globulin. However, the DAS28 decreased similarly for all treatment groups including placebo, indicating lack of clinical efficacy of Org 37663 in this trial.Conclusion. The observed lack of clinical benefit in RA patients treated with an ER␣ agonist, in association with a clear biologic response to the study drug, provides evidence that a biologically relevant ER␣-mediated estrogenic effect is not associated with a clinically relevant effect on RA symptoms and signs.

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Our study demonstrates that many patients with MD have an inadequate diet. Specifically, intake of protein, calcium, dairy products, and fluids were low. Overall, eating a healthy diet seems as difficult for patients with MD as for the general population. Since interindividual differences are high, individual diet counseling is recommended for all adult patients with MD.