title: The effect of L-thyroxine treatment on hypothyroid symptom scores and lipid profile in children with subclinical hypothyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate i) the frequency of typical hypothyroidism symptoms in children with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), ii) to evaluate the association of SH with lipoproteins and iii) to investigate possible improving effects of L-thyroxine (LT4) treatment on these findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven children with SH who had elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH: >4.94 µIU/L) but normal free T4 levels and healthy euthyroid children of similar age and sex were enrolled in the study. Anthropometric and laboratory (lipid profile and thyroid function tests) measurements were performed at diagnosis and six months after euthyroidism was achieved. All children were also subjected to a questionnaire on hypothyroid symptoms at diagnosis. The SH patients were subjected to the questionnaire also following treatment. Pre-treatment data were compared with those of controls and post-treatment measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anthropometric and laboratory parameters of the groups were not statistically different except for higher TSH levels in the SH group. Serum lipoprotein levels and dyslipidemia frequency were similar between the groups. Compared to the controls, hypothyroidism symptom score was significantly higher in the SH group. Six months after euthyroidism was achieved, a significant reduction in the hypothyroid symptom score was obtained in the SH group. Except for significantly higher serum TSH values, no significant differences regarding demographic characteristics, symptom scores and lipid parameters were present between patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and the remaining SH patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that in children with SH i) the hypothyroidism symptom score was significantly higher than in euthyroid children, ii) LT4 treatment improved the hypothyroidism symptom score and iii) SH does not seem to be associated with dyslipidemia.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, İzmir, Turkey. E-mail: ayhanabaci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Çatlı
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anık
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ünver Tuhan
authors.forename: Ece
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Böber
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abacı
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine