Abstract
PurposeIodine deficiency in childhood and adolescence may lead to later thyroid dysfunction, stunted growth and cognitive impairment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued recommended age-dependent urine iodine concentration targets, but a critical threshold beyond which clinical sequelae are to be expected remains undefined. Our study aimed to investigate spot urine iodine concentration in a typical Central European cohort of children and adolescents, and consider the implications of these values in regard to laboratory parameters for evaluating thyroid function.MethodsUsing the Sandell-Kolthoff method, spot urine iodine concentration was measured cross-sectionally from 1802 healthy children and adolescent in the age range of 0.25–18 years within the LIFE-Child epidemiological study based in and around the city of Leipzig (Germany). Additionally, serum thyroid biomarkers of these subjects were measured and correlated to urine iodine levels.ResultsIn our cohort, 61.39% of boys and 65.91% of girls had an iodine level of < 100 µg/L (57%, 67%, 65% of the age groups 0–5, 6–12 and 13–18 years), the median iodine excretion was 86 µg/L in boys and 80 µg/L in girls. The iodine levels revealed no significant correlation with the thyroid biomarkers TSH, FT4 and FT3. Moreover, iodine values revealed no correlation with levels of antibodies against thyroid peroxidase or thyroglobulin.ConclusionIn our cohort of children and adolescents, the relatively high number of iodine levels below the WHO recommendation appears not to be related to clinical or subclinical thyroid diseases in the respective participants.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake of iodine for children and adolescents of 90–150 μg/ day, depending on age [1, 2]
The aim of our study was, first, to investigate SUIC levels among children and adolescents in the LIFE Child study based in Leipzig (Germany) and, second, to consider whether these SUIC values might show any correlation with parameters of thyroid function in our cohort
All other laboratory parameters were determined using a Cobas automated analyzer (Roche, Mannheim): creatinine was measured by enzymatic method, TSH, FT3, FT4, TPO-Ab and TG-Ab were determined by the electrochemiluminescence method (ECLIA)
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake of iodine for children and adolescents of 90–150 μg/ day, depending on age [1, 2]. Recommendations given from German authorities were in a comparable range of 40–200 μg/day [3]. Numerous clinical studies suggested that insufficient iodine intake can lead to hypothyroidism with thyroid enlargement (goiter), stunted growth, cognitive impairment (especially of the fetal brain), an increased risk of stillbirth, or a number of other typical clinical signs [4]. Iodine deficiency may be considered one of the most significant single causes of preventable brain damage in the world [5]. Iodine fortification of foodstuffs has been used worldwide as a key strategy in addressing the problem of iodine deficiency.
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