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Age-specific reference interval of serum TSH levels is high in adolescence in an iodine excess area: Korea national health and nutrition examination survey data

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Abstract

Purpose

Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level was influenced by several factors, including age, gender, thyroid auto-antibodies, race, and intake of dietary iodine. We evaluated age-specific reference interval of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in Korea, an iodine excess area.

Methods

This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study included representative civilian, non-institutional population (n = 6564) who underwent thyroid function tests from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015). The reference interval of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels was defined between the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles in the reference population.

Results

The geometric mean of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in the reference population was 2.17 mIU/L with a reference interval of 0.62–6.84 mIU/L. In the reference population, the geometric mean of serum TSH levels in each age group of 10–18, 19–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and equal or older than 70 years was 2.47, 2.20, 2.07, 2.04, 2.23, 2.12, and 2.27 mIU/L, with a reference interval of 0.74–7.35, 0.67–6.42, 0.63–6.04, 0.62–6.20, 0.56–7.37, 0.57–6.90, and 0.42–6.58 mIU/L, respectively. In the reference population, the urinary iodine concentrations were consistently high in all age groups (median 298.5 μg/L). Subjects aged 10–18 years had the highest urinary iodine concentrations.

Conclusions

There was no shift toward higher levels with age in the distribution of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. The reference interval of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels was consistently high in all age group, especially from adolescence 10–18 years in a Korean population who had excessive intake of dietary iodine.

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Funding

This study was supported by a grant of the Korean Health Technology R&D project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (HC15C3372).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 03181, Korea

    Hyemi Kwon

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Korea

    Hyemi Kwon, Won Gu Kim, Min Ji Jeon, Mijin Kim, Suyeon Park, Tae Yong Kim, Young Kee Shong & Won Bae Kim

  3. Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Korea

    Minkyu Han

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  1. Hyemi Kwon
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Correspondence to Won Gu Kim.

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Kwon, H., Kim, W.G., Jeon, M.J. et al. Age-specific reference interval of serum TSH levels is high in adolescence in an iodine excess area: Korea national health and nutrition examination survey data. Endocrine 57, 445–454 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-017-1375-5

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