Thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] levels in euthyroid patients with goiter, a clinicopathological study

ABSTRACT

300 subjects, 39 males and 261 females, between the ages of 6 years and 70 years, were studied at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences [PIMS] and Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute [NORI] to assess the role of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone [TSH] in the development of goiter in euthyroid goitrous population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi area. The euthyroid goitrous subjects were selected by clinical Examination. Radioisotope uptake scan was done to confirm the clinical assessment of the status of the thyroid gland. The estimation of the serum levels of the thyroid hormones and TSH was done by Radioimmunoassay [RIA] and the estimation of serum levels of immunoglobulins A, G and M by Radial Immunodiffusion [RID]. TSH was found to be elevated in 9% of the study subjects while immunoglobulins were elevated in 66.67% of the subjects. The results of the study reveal the goitrogenic role of TSH in a small portion, while immunological phenomenon appears to be active in a significant portion of the euthyroid goitrous population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi area