Consanguinity and the Risk of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

BACKGROUND: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease that may lead to hypothyroidism due to progressive destruction of the thyroid. The etiology of HT is unclear. However, it is associated with multiple genetic predispositions. Consanguinity has been associated with an increased susceptibility to different inherited conditions. This study investigated the association between consanguinity and risk of HT for the first time. METHODS: Using a case-control study design, 298 HT patients were compared with two subject groups: (i) 299 participants with non-HT hypothyroidism, and (ii) 298 healthy control participants. The three groups were age and sex matched. Presence of consanguinity among the parents was compared in these groups, and odds ratios (OR) were calculated to establish a correlation. RESULTS: Consanguinity significantly increased the risk of HT (compared with healthy subjects; OR = 3.3; p < 0.0001). In addition, consanguinity was a significant risk factor for HT compared with non-HT hypothyroidism patients (OR = 2.8; p < 0.0001). However, the prevalence of consanguinity was not significantly different in non-HT hypothyroidism patients and healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the risk for HT is increased in consanguineous unions, but no significant increase in the risk of non-HT hypothyroidism was observed. However, for more precise risk estimates, larger studies that include different populations may be helpful. These findings highlight the health impact of consanguinity and have applications in empiric risk estimations in genetic counseling, particularly in countries with high rates of consanguineous marriages.

Prevalence of short stature, underweight, overweight, and obesity among school children in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of short stature (SS) and underweight in Jordan on a national level is unknown. This study aimed to investigate, on a national level, the prevalence of short stature (SS), underweight, overweight, and obesity among school aged children in Jordan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2015 to January 2016 and included 2702 subjects aged 6-17 years. Jordan was classified into 3 regions; North, Center (urban), and South (rural). Public and private schools were randomly selected from a random sample of cities from each region. The socioeconomic status of the sampling locations was assessed using several indicators including education, income, healthcare and housing conditions. For each participating subject, anthropometrics were obtained. SS, underweight, overweight and obesity were defined using Center of Disease Control's (CDC) growth charts. Median Z-scores for each region, age and gender were calculated. RESULTS: The Central and Northern regions enjoyed higher socioeconomic status compared to rural Southern regions. The overall prevalence of SS, underweight, overweight, and obesity were 4.9 %, 5.7 %, 17.3 %, and 15.7 %, respectively. SS and underweight were most prevalent in the rural South, while obesity was highest in the Central region. Females were more likely to be overweight, while males were more likely to be obese. Private schools had higher prevalence of obesity and overweight than public ones. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in height and weight among Jordanian school children might be affected by socioeconomic status.