<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Further clarification, (I hope), about autoimmune thyroid disease and CD.

Circulating thyroid autoantibodies have been widely implicated in the
etiology of autoimmune thyroid disease and both thyroglobulin and thyroid
microsomal antibodies are routinely measured in clinical practice.  Serum
autoantibodies to thyroid microsomal antigens are commonly found in
patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases and their presence correlates
well with tissue changes in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  Antibodies to thyroid
microsomal antigens are positive in 70-90% of patients with chronic
thyroiditis.  They are also found in 64% of patients with primary
hypothyroidism, 50% with thyrotoxicosis, 10% with simple goiters and 17%
with thyroid tumors.  Thyroglobulin antibodies are detected at high levels
mainly in autoimmune thyroiditis and Graves' disease.

It has become apparent that the main antigen found in thyroid microsomes is
the enzyme thyroid peroxidase or TPO.  Tests that measure TPO have several
advantages over assays that use the cruder whole microsome preparations
that also contain thyroglobulin as well as other unidentified antigens.
The primary advantage is specificity.  The specificity is 94% with the
thyroid microsomal but rises to essentially 100% with TPO.

Autoimmune thyroiditis has long been recognized as a risk factor for Celiac
disease.

Tom