Recent research suggests that autoimmune disorders may be correlated in some way with borderline personality disorder. Indeed, circulating thyroid autoantibodies tend to be more prevalent among those with mood disorders than in the rest of the population, but longitudinal clinical data attempting to correlate thyroid antibody status and the course of a psychiatric disorder is nowhere to be found. Furthermore, while a great deal of attention has been paid to the correlation between autoimmune disorders and mood disorders, relatively little attention has been paid to a possible link between autoimmune disorders and borderline personality disorder, which is odd, in light of the fact that there is such a high comorbidity of borderline personality disorder and mood disorders (indeed, borderline personality disorder, by definition, involves rapid mood swings to the point where some researchers believe that it is oftentimes confused with bipolar disorder by clinicians).
In one study, a case of a patient with BPD is reported in which psychotic symptoms were linked with antithyroglobulin antibody titers. Much lower psychosis and depression ratings were found during a month-long period off comparatively low antithyroid antibody titers. Researchers suggest that investigation into thyroid activity may be warranted in at least some cases of individuals presenting with borderline personality disorder.
In their book “Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder” by Jerold J. Kreisman M.D. and Hal Stras, the authors suggest a link between autoimmune disorders and BPD:
“Some researchers have investigated the connection of BPD to autoimmune disorders, in which the body has a kind of allergic reaction to itself and produces antibodies to its own organs. One example, rheumatoid arthritis, is associated with an unusually high prevalence of BPD. One study followed a woman with fluctuating BPD symptoms over a period of nine months while measuring her antithyroid antibodies. These investigators discovered significantly lower levels of the antibodies during periods when her depression and psychosis ratings were low, and higher levels when her symptoms increased. This finding suggests that autoimmune-related inflammation may exacerbate BPD symptoms or vice versa.”
