Screening Test For Hypothyroidism Research Articles

PSEUDOCHOLINESTERASE AS A PREDICTOR MARKER IN HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is due to decreased circulating levels of Thyroid hormones and is caused by inadequate functioning of thyroid gland. Pseudocholinesterase (PCHE) is a nonspecific cholinesterase enzyme that hydrolyses choline based esters in plasma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serum level of PCHE in hypothyroid patients. Methodology: The present study was conducted on 100 newly diagnosed hypothyroid patients attending the Medical OPD. The results of patients were compared with 100 healthy controls of either sex of similar age group. Anthropometric measurements, T3, T4, TSH, PCHE & Cholesterol estimations were performed. Results: The mean serum PCHE (decrease) level was observed statistically highly significant (p<0.001) in hypothyroid patients as compared with healthy control subjects. A highly significant positive correlation between PCHE with T3 & T4 (p< 0.001) in hypothyroid cases. Conclusion: Serum Pseudocholinesterase may be helpful as biomarker in screening test for hypothyroidism along with thyroid stimulating hormone.

Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions recorded from untreated congenital hypothyroid newborns

Thyroid hormone plays an important role in hearing development. Both a genetic or non-genetic hypothyroidism is often associated with congenital hearing loss. The exact incidence of hearing impairment in untreated congenital hypothyroid (CH) patients is unknown. This paper will present the results of measuring of the transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) in a population of 29 newborns, who tested positive on a screening test for hypothyroidism (CH group) and in 68 well babies (control group) randomly chosen from all the newborns, classified as PASS, included in the Hearing Screening Program of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. TEOAE were recorded in all newborns within 1 month after birth and before beginning L-thyroxine treatment with conventional commercial instrumentation. Both temporal and time–frequency analyses of the emitted responses were conducted by means of a wavelet transform. The comparison of the characteristics of the temporal and frequency content of the responses of the two groups (CH and control) showed no statistically significant difference. No correlation was found between outer hair cell dysfunction and hypothyroidism.

Alphafetoprotein in screening for congenital hypothyroidism

This study was conducted on 500 full-term neonates and 25 older patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH), newly or previously diagnosed. Alphafetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in two neonates. In one, persistent elevation of AFP and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with low thyroxine (T4) were found (congenital hypothyroidism). In the other, AFP, TSH and T4 levels normalized (transient hypothyroidism). The mean AFP level in new CH patients was significantly higher than in previously diagnosed patients, and was higher in CH patients than in controls. Significant relationships were found between AFP and T4, AFP and TSH, and AFP and age. AFP is a sensitive indicator of thyroid status and can be used as a screening test for hypothyroidism from the first day of life and in follow-up of CH patients.