Endemic goitre and iodine metabolism in schoolchildren from the Daunia uplands (province of Foggia, Italy).
A study of endemic goitre was carried out in the western part of the province of Foggia (Daunia's pre-Appennines). About 50% of a total of 2719 children aged 6-15 years examined in the agricultural and hill towns of Accadia, Bovino, Candela, Deliceto and Sant'Agata di Puglia (500 to 800 m above sea level), presented a thyroid enlargement (usually of Grade 1). Urinary creatinine values were normal, while urinary iodine was low: 37.7 +/- 28.39 mug/g creatinine (mean +/- SD for 319 subjects). Serum levels of thyroid hormones were normal: T4 = 7.89 +/- 2.61 mug/dl; T3 = 114.72 +/- 40 ng/dl; T3 (T4 X 100) = 0.166 +/- 0.09. Subjects with Grade 2 thyroid enlargement had significant lower urinary iodine and serum T4, and higher T3 and T3/T4 ratio than children without goitre (Grade 0). Serum thyrotropin was rather high (3.79 +/- 4.17 muU/ml), but bore no straight relation to the thyroid size; in subjects with Grade 2 thyroids there was an inverse relationship between plasma T4 and TSH levels. Drinking water iodine was generally low (2-3 mug/l), though some richer sources (18, 38, 66 mug/l) were noted. Iodine contents of locally produced foodstuffs were below those found in food on Turin markets.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
D014867:Water; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D007455:Iodine; D003404:Creatinine; D013974:Thyroxine