Table 1
Patient and disease characteristics
| Characteristic | Hyperthyroid patients | Euthyroid and hypothyroid patients | p Values |
| No of patients (male/female) | 143 (18/125) | 39 (9/31) | NS |
| Age (years, median (range)) | 49 (21 to 79) | 51 (33 to 84) | NS |
| Non-smoker/smoker | 55/88 | 18/21 | NS |
| Follow-up after first symptoms of GO (months, median (range)) | 36 (18 to 73) | 27 (12 to 79) | |
| Thyroid volume (ml, mean (range)) | 23 (8 to 102) | 14 (2 to 36) | p<0.0001 |
| TBII levels 6 months after first symptoms of GO (IU/l, median (range)) | 8.6 (<1.5 to >40.0) | 2.2 (<1.5 to >40) | p = 0.02 |
| Prevalence of positive TBII 6 months after first symptoms of GO (no (%) of patients) | 134 (94%) | 27 (69%) | p<0.0001 |
| Prevalence of negative TBII and TPO Ab 6 months after first symptoms of GO (no (%) of patients) | 8 (5.6%) | 10 (25%) | p = 0.0008 |
| TPO Ab levels 6 months after first symptoms of GO (U/ml, median (range)) | 262 (<60 to >3000) | 100 (<60 to >3000) | NS |
| Clinical activity score before anti-inflammatory treatment | 5.2 (2.34) | 3.9 (2.1) | p = 0.002 |
| NOSPECS score before anti-inflammatory treatment | 5.7 (3.1) | 4.4 (2.4) | p = 0.03 |
| Hertel (mean (SD)) | 17.4 (3.2) | 17.3 (3.0) | NS |
| Right–left difference (mean (SD)) | 1.0 (1.0) | 1.9 (1.8) | p = 0.01 |
| Percentage difference ⩾3 mm | 4.8% | 23% | p = 0.004 |
| Upgaze (monocular excursion) (median (range)) | 30 (5 to 40) | 35 (5 to 40) | p = 0.04 |
| Steroid therapy (no (%) patients) | 124 (87%) | 31 (79%) | NS |
| Orbital irradiation (no (%) patients | 98 (68%) | 15 (38%) | p = 0.03 |
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GO, Graves ophthalmopathy; SD, standard deviation; TBII, TSH-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin; TPO Ab, thyroid peroxidase antibodies.
