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Endemic goitre and iodine metabolism in schoolchildren from the Daunia uplands (province of Foggia, Italy)

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Abstract

A study of endemic goitre was carried out in the western part of the province of Foggia (Daunia’s pre-Appennines). About 50% of a total of 2719 children aged 6–15 years examined in the agricultural and hill towns of Accadia, Bovino, Candela, Deliceto and Sant’Agata di Puglia (500 to 800 m above sea level), presented a thyroid enlargement (usually of Grade 1). Urinary creatinine values were normal, while urinary iodine was low: 37.7 ± 28.39 μ/g creatinine (mean ±SD for 319 subjects). Serum levels of thyroid hormones were normal: T4 =7.89 ± 2.61 μ/dl; T3 =114.72 ± 40 ng/dl; T3/(T4×100) = 0.166 ± 0.09. Subjects with Grade 2 thyroid enlargement had significant lower urinary iodine and serum T4, and higher T3 and T3/T4 ratio than children without goitre (Grade 0). Serum thyrotropin was rather high (3.79 ± 4.17 μU/ml), but bore no straight relation to the thyroid size; in subjects with Grade 2 thyroids there was an inverse relationship between plasma T4 and TSH levels. Drinking water iodine was generally low (2–3 μg/l), though some richer sources (18, 38, 66 μg/l) were noted. Iodine contents of locally produced foodstuffs were below those found in food on Turin markets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Mauriziano Hospital, Turin, Italy

    V. De Filippis & G. Cenderelli

  2. Department of Medical Semeiotics, University of Naples, Italy

    U. Cocco & G. Lo ludice

  3. Service of Nuclear Medicine, OO.RR., Foggia, Italy

    A. Di Cerbo

  4. Endemic Goitre Study Centre, Mauriziano Hospital, Turin, Italy

    A. Costa Dr.

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  1. V. De Filippis
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  2. G. Cenderelli
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De Filippis, V., Cenderelli, G., Cocco, U. et al. Endemic goitre and iodine metabolism in schoolchildren from the Daunia uplands (province of Foggia, Italy). J Endocrinol Invest 1, 107–113 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350356

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