Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

  Comparison of the Thyroid Autoantibodies and Urinary Iodine Concentration in Hypothyroid and Normal Individuals in Rafsanjan City in 2006

  Gh.R. Asadikaram [1] , M. Torkzadeh Mahani [2]

  Received: 20/05/09 Sent for Revision: 21/01/10 Received Revised Manuscript: 13/10/10 Accepted: 19/10/10

  Background and Objectives: Thyroid disorders are among the most prevalent autocrine diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies and iodine consumption in hypothyroid patients and healthy subjects .

  Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed through simple non-probability sampling on 75 hypothyroid subjects (TSH >5 mIU/ml, T4 <60 nmol/L and T₃RUP=30 - 40%) age 20-75 (M/F=28/47) as cases, and 75 normal individuals (TSH and T4 normal, sex and age matched with the case group) as control. Urinary iodine concentration, antithyroperoxidase (Anti-TPO) and antithyroglobulin (Anti-Tg) were measured in all individuals. Statistical analysis was done in SPSS, using t-test and Fisher’s exact test. P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

  Results: In hypothyroid individuals urinary iodine concentration was less than the control group (p<0.0001), whereas Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg were significantly higher (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001 respectively). Fifty percent of the subjects, above 60 years old, had urinary iodine deficiency.

  Conclusion: Thyroid autoimmunity is one of the main causes of hypothyroidism in Rafsanjan city and it seems that autoimmunity is not due to the increase of iodine consumption. In addition, iodine deficiency is a health problem in elderly individuals in this study and considering the special conditions of these individuals it must be replaced with other manners.

  Key words: Antithyroid, Antibodies, Antithyroperoxidase, Antithyroglobulin, Urinary iodine, Hypothyroidism

  Funding: This research was funded by International Center for Science High Technology and Environmental Sciences of Kerman.

  Conflict of interest: None declared.

  Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences approved the study.

  [1] - Associate Prof, Dept. of Biochemistry, Kerman University of Medical Scinces and Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

  Corresponding autor, Tel: (0341) 3221660, Fax:(0341) 3222048, E-mail: asadi_ka@yahoo.com

  [2] - MSc in Biochemistry, International Center for Science, High Technology & Environmental Sciences Kerman, Iran