A longitudinal study on association between puberty development and thyroid function of school aged girls in Minhang District, Shanghai / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To observe the association between puberty development and thyroid function among school-aged girls in Minhang District of Shanghai, in order to explore the effect of puberty development on thyroid function. @*Methods@#The study was based on a cohort of adolescent girls recruited in iodine-suitable areas of Minhang District, and the baseline and follow-up survey have been carried out from January to March 2019. The method of phased cluster sampling was used to select one junior high school in the east, south, north and middle of Minhang District, Shanghai, respectively. Finally, 464 new junior high school girls were included in the Cohort study for physical examination, and girls were followed up from January to March 2021. The Puberty Development Scale (PDS) was used to assess the stage of puberty. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) were determined for each participant. Thyroid homeostasis structure parameters (THSPs) was calculated. Changes of Thyroid hormones at baseline and follow-up were compared by Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of thyroid hormones (THs) and THSPs changes with pubertal develepment.@*Results@#Serum TSH levels of female studentds decreased significantly, while their FT3 and FT4 levels increased significantly during the study period ( Z=-10.53, -4.71, -12.46, P <0.01). In multiple linear regression analysis after adjustment for co-variables (including baseline age, change of BMI and waist circumference), FT4 and thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI) in the higher puberty category scores changes (△PCS) group were further reduced compared with those in the low △PCS group ( β =-0.66, -0.55 ). Compared to the late puberty at baseline and follow-up (BLFL) group, FT4 and TFQI showed higher decline in the pre-puberty at baseline and late puberty at follow-up (BPFL) group with the pre-puberty at baseline and end of puberty at follow-up (BPFT) group ( β =-0.55, -0.44)( P <0.05). There were no association of △TSH, △FT3, △FT4/FT3 and TSH index changes (△TSHI) with △PCS or the puberty pattern.@*Conclusion@#Serum TSH decreases while serum FT3 and FT4 increase among girls during puberty. Both the initial stage and the velocity of pubertal development are related to thyroid hormone fluctuations.