title: Increased sex hormone-binding globulin levels in children and adolescents with thyrotoxicosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyrotoxicosis is a rare condition in pediatric patients, and optimal treatment can be difficult to achieve in some children. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in hyperthyroid children and adolescents in relation to age- and gender-related normative data.
  
  
  METHODS
  SHBG serum levels were determined before and after 4 months of antithyroid therapy (ATT) in 10 children and adolescents with Graves' disease. A total of 903 healthy children and adolescents served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum SHBG levels were elevated (>2 SD) at diagnosis in all hyperthyroid children but normalized rapidly following ATT. At diagnosis, median SHBG was +2.51 SD (interquartile range 2.20-3.27) compared to healthy children without thyroid illness, and it declined significantly during ATT (-0.16 SD, -0.66 to 1.64; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to demonstrate that serum SHBG levels are markedly increased in children with Graves' disease, and we suggest that SHBG may be an additional marker of thyroid hormone action in children, as has been shown in adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Rikke Beck
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juul
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008713:Methimazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013971:Thyrotoxicosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D008713:Methimazole