ABSTRACT
Objective: Jo evaluate the thiol/disulphide homeostasis in children with non-autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism [SHT]
Subjects and Methods: Thiol/disulphide homeostasis, involving native thiol [SH], disulphide [SS], and total thiol [SS + SH], was evaluated in 60 children and adolescents who were negative for thyroid auto-antibodies [anti-thyroid per-oxidase, anti-thyroglobulin] and had a thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] value of >5 mlU/L, and in 40 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects who were negative for thyroid autoantibodies and had normal TSH levels. Lipid profiles and urine iodine levels were also determined
Results: SH [466 +/- 32.8 vs. 462 +/- 32.1 |amol/L p = 0.59), SH + SS [508 +/- 34.0 vs. 506 +/- 32.7 |amol/L, p = 0.81), SS (21 +/- 5.5 vs. 22 +/- 5.8 Mmol/L, p = 0.41), SS/SH [4.5 +/- 1.2 vs. 4.8 ± 1.3%, p = 0.36], SS/SH + SS [4.1 +/- 1.0 vs. 4.3+/-1.1 %7 p = 0.36] and SH/SH + SS [91 +/- 2.1 vs. 91 +/- 2.1 %,p = 0.31] levels were similar in children with SHT and control subjects [p > 0.05]. There was no difference between total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein levels in SHT patients and controls. No difference was detected between the patients with or without iodine deficiency in the SHT group in terms of thiol/disulphide homeostasis parameters
Conclusion: The status of dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis did not change in children and adolescents with non-autoimmune SHT. Future studies are needed for the evaluation of oxidative stress in patients with long-standing non-autoimmune SHT