Sequential studies on thyroid antibodies during pregnancy.
Thyroid antibodies were measured sequentially in 25 pregnant women from a Sri Lankan population. A high prevalence of antithyroid antibodies, particularly antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) had previously been demonstrated in female schoolchildren drawn from this population. In the present study TgAb were detected in 36.8% of nonpregnant controls while thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) positivity was present in 26.3%. The prevalence of both antibodies in the pregnancy study group showed a progressive decline compared to nonpregnant controls throughout gestation becoming undetectable in the third trimester. The results are consistent with an immunosuppressive effect of pregnancy in a population in whom high thyroid autoantibody titers may have resulted from a recent salt iodization program.
Smyth
P P A
PP
Endocrine Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College, Dublin, Ireland. ppa.smyth@ucd.ie
Wijeyaratne
C N
CN
Kaluarachi
W N
WN
Smith
D F
DF
Premawardhana
L D K E
LD
Parkes
A B
AB
Jayasinghe
A
A
de Silva
D G H
DG
Lazarus
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D007455:Iodine / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007455:Iodine; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase