High prevalence of goiter in schoolchildren in Isfahan; zinc deficiency does not play a role.
BACKGROUND
There are controversial data about the role of zinc deficiency in the aetiology of endemic goiter. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between zinc status and goiter in schoolchildren of Isfahan.


METHODS
This study was performed in 2005. Two thousand three hundred and thirty-one schoolchildren were enrolled, and thyroid size was determined by inspection and palpation. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and serum zinc level were measured in a group of those children.


RESULTS
The prevalence of goiter was 32.9%. The median UIC was 195.5 microg/L. Serum zinc was measured in 94 goitrous and 326 nongoitrous children. The mean + or - standard deviation of serum zinc in goitrous and non-goitrous children was 100.81 + or - 22.33 and 96.00 + or - 25.79 microg/dL, respectively (P = 0.08). The prevalence of zinc deficiency (serum zinc < or = 65 microg/dL) in goitrous and non-goitrous children did not differ significantly (6.4 % v. 8.0%, P = 0.61).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of goiter is still high in Isfahan schoolchildren. It seems that zinc status is not involved in the high prevalence of goiter in this region. The role of other possible goitrogens should be investigated in Isfahan.
Keshteli
Ammar Hassanzadeh
AH
Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. hashemipour@med.mui.ac.ir
Hashemipour
Mahin
M
Siavash
Mansour
M
Kelishadi
Roya
R
Amini
Masoud
M
D000293:Adolescent; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
D015032:Zinc