TSH and thyroxine in cord blood of subjects from an endemic area.

Thyroxine (T4) and TSH were assayed in the triplet: maternal venous blood at delivery (M), cord blood (C) and total capillary dry spot blood of the corresponding children 4 - 5 days postpartum (Nb). Fifty-four triplets in all (spontaneous deliveries, full term infants from the Cîmpulung endemic goiter area) were thus determined by sampling out the native families. The controls were 10 triplets from Bucharest, a non-endemic goiter area. A group of 31 pregnant women from the endemic area who have received iodinated oil in the 3rd - 4th month of pregnancy for prophylactic purposes are brought into discussion. The mean thyroxine and TSH values in C were by 29% lower and 60% higher, respectively, as against the values found for the Bucharest subjects. The statistical analysis of the dependency of Nb thyroxine on the C values showed the existence of a close positive relationship between the two parameters (r = 0.81; p less than 0.001). Worth pointing out are the positive effects of iodinated prophylaxis in pregnant women, as demonstrated by the improvement of the thyroid parameters in C, i.e. 5 - 6 months after administration.

Total blood thyroxine and TSH levels in the newborns of an endemic goiter area in Romania.

A neonatal screening of two approximately equal groups (376 in all) from (A) Bucharest (a non-endemic area) and (B) Cimpulung (an endemic area) was undertaken. RIA of T4 and TSH in dry whole blood spots was performed using blood collected 3--5 days after birth. The results show a significantly lower T4 valu in group (B) as against group (A), i.e. 105.5 +/- 3.61 nmol. L-1 as against 146.3 +/- 1.61 nmol. L-1, and a significantly increased TSH value, i.e. 19.1 +/- 0.76 microU. ml-1 as against 10.9 +/- 0.84 microU. sml-1. No sex-related differences were noticed. Our findings point to a neonatal thyroid hypofunction in the endemic area and to the need to establish the range of variation for the thyroid parameters used as criteria for congenital hypothyroidism in endemic areas. Iodine prophylaxis applied to pregnant women in such areas is also discussed.