Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2008) 16 P738

ECE2008 Poster Presentations Thyroid (146 abstracts)

Iodine excretion and prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in the Western Part of Germany: results of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study

Martina Broecker-Preuss 1 , Harald Lahner 1 , Susanne Moebus 2 , Stefan Moehlenkamp 3 , Ulla Roggenbuck 2 , Karl-Heinz Joeckel 2 , Raimund Erbel 3 , Klaus Mann 1 & on behalf of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Investigator Group 1


1Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; 2Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; 3Department of Cardiology, West-German Heart Center Essen, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.


Objective: While Germany was considered to be an iodine deficient area grade I to II in 1993, iodine supply has increased. With higher iodine uptake, prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis may increase. Poor data exist on iodine supply and the occurrence of thyroid dysfunction in middle-aged adults in the western part of Germany. The aim of our study was to analyze iodine status, prevalence of TPO-antibodies (TPOab), TSH and fT4 levels in a large population-based sample in the western part of Germany.

Methods: Between 2001 and 2003 serum and casual urine samples were drawn from 4814 participants (50.2% women, 49.8% men, age 45–75 years) of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study and analyzed by routine laboratory tests. Assay reagents for TSH, fT4 and TPO-Ab were provided by Roche Diagnostics.

Results: We excluded participants with known thyroid disease, thyroid medication (including iodine-containing drugs) and elevated serum creatinine. Of the remaining 3527 persons, TSH and fT4 data were available from 3150 (89.3%). About 96.7% of men and 94.2% of women were euthyroid. Subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism was detected in 1.5 and 0.4% of male and 2.4 and 0.4% of female participants, respectively. About 1.2 and 0.2% of men and 2.2 and 0.8% of women exhibited subclinical and overt hypothyroidism. The median iodine excretion was 128 μg iodine/g creatinine (men: 113 μg/g, women: 152 μg/g; P<0.05). Iodine deficiency (<100 μg/g) was significantly more frequent in men than in women (37.9 vs 13.0%). High iodine excretion (more than 200 μg/g) was detected in 24.3% of women and 9.0% of men (P<0.01). Elevated TPOab (>200 U/ml) were also found significantly more frequent in women (5.4%) than in men (1.5%). In men, high TPOab titres were found particularly in those individuals with high iodine excretion (TPOab >200 U/ml in 2.9% of men with 200–250 μg/g). Interestingly, in women TPOab >200 U/ml (6.8%) were detected primarily in individuals with an excretion of 100–150 μg/g. About 69.6% (16/23) of women and 41.2% (7/17) of men with TSH levels >5 mU/l exhibited TPOab >200 U/ml. Neither in men nor in women iodine excretion was associated with TSH or fT4 levels.

Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that iodine supply in the Western Part of Germany has normalized. In men, elevated TPO antibodies were associated with high iodine excretion.

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