Serum thyroid hormone and thyrotropin levels in school children from goiter endemic sub-Himalayan tarai region of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

In the present study serum concentrations of T3, T4, TSH were measured in 140 goitrous school children, aged 6-12 yrs of both sexes from Siddhartnagar, located in sub-Himalayan tarai region of Eastern Uttar Pradesh where endemic goiter and iodine deficiency are prevalent. The results show that overall 10.0% studied population (12.9% boys and 7.7% girls) has TSH level above 6.1μIU/ml indicating that they had biochemical hypothyroidism and all the hypothyroid children are subclinically hypothyroid and none of them are overt hypothyroid as their T4 level is within normal range. The serum levels of T4, T3 were in the normal range in children with different grades of goiter. The findings of present study suggest that serum thyroid hormone and thyrotropin levels are relatively less sensitive marker for iodine deficiency.