title: Thiocyanate status does not play a role in the etiology of residual goiter in school children of Isfahan, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite long standing iodine supplementation in Iran the prevalence of goiter remains high in some areas. In the present study we investigated the possible role of thiocyanate as a goitrogen in the etiology of goiter in Isfahan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2331 (6-13 year old) school children were selected by multistage random sampling. Thyroid size was estimated in each child by inspection and palpation. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and urinary thiocyanate (USCN) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 32.9% of the 2331 students had goiter. The median UIC was 195.5 μg/L. The mean ± SD of USCN in goitrous and nongoitrous subjects was 0.42 ± 0.28 mg/dL and 0.41 ± 0.32 mg/dL, respectively (P=0.86). USCN level in goitrous and nongoitrous boys was 0.41 ± 0.32 mg/dL and 0.43 ± 0.37 mg/dL, respectively (P=0.67). USCN level in goitrous and nongoitrous girls was 0.43 ± 0.26 mg/dL and 0.40 ± 0.28 mg/dL, respectively (P=0.43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thiocyanate overload does not play a role in high prevalence of goiter in the studied population. We suggest the role of other goitrogenic factors should be investigated in this region.
authors.affiliation: Medical Students Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ammar H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Keshteli
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemipour
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siavash
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000652:urine; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D013861:Thiocyanates; D007455:Iodine