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Stable consumption of swordfish favors, whereas stable consumption of oily fish protects from, development of postpartum thyroiditis

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Abstract

Purpose

In 236 pregnant women, we showed that selective or predominant consumption of swordfish (group A) was associated with high rates of positivity for serum thyroid autoantibodies (TPOAb and TgAb) throughout day 4 postpartum. In contrast, selective or predominant consumption of oily fish (group B) was associated with TPOAb and TgAb negativity. Rates were intermediate in group C (scanty consumption of swordfish) and group D (consumption of fish other than swordfish and oily fish). Gestational TPOAb positivity is a risk factor for postpartum thyroiditis (PPT), which evolves into permanent hypothyroidism (PH) in about 50% of cases. Purpose of this study was to verify that the different rates of thyroid autoantibodies in the four groups translated into different PPT rates.

Methods

We expanded our previous cohort (n = 412) and duration of follow-up (month 12 postpartum), and measured frequency of PPT and PH.

Results

At first timester of gestation, we confirmed the different Ab positivity rates in group A vs. group B (TPOAb = 21.7% vs. 4.7%, P < 0.0001; TgAb = 14.1% vs. 2.4%, P < 0.05). Overall, PPT prevalence was 63/412 (15.3%), but 22/92 in group A (23.9%), 4/85 in group B (4.7%; P < 0.0001 vs. group A), 17/108 (15.7%) in group C, and 16/117 (13.7%) in group D. Approximately half of the PPT women had PH, regardless of fish group.

Conclusions

In conclusion, stable consumption of oily fish (which is enriched in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids) protects from PPT, while stable consumption of swordfish (which is enriched in pollutants) favors PPT. Thus, a dietary prophylaxis of PPT is possible.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Luigi Manasseri, physiologist and nutritionist at the University of Messina, for having reviewed the seafood consumption analysis. We thank the following obstetricians/gynecologists/endocrinologists and family physicians for help in carrying-out this study: Professor Domenico Granese, former Director of the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the School of Midwifery at our University hospital; professor Rosario D’Anna and professor Francesco Corrado, who succeeded as the Director of the School of Midwifery; Doctors Angela Scilipoti, Carmela Lo Re, Antonello Ardizzone, Silvia Russo, Pietro Rizzo, Emanuela Raffone, Angelo Santamaria, and Filippo Genovesi; Doctors Lorella Li Calzi, Taddeo Pappa, Salvatore Seminara, and Domenico Tromba; Doctors Umberto Alecci, Dr. Antonio Alibrando, Angelo Crescenti, Emanuele Crescenti, Santi Inferrera, Sebastiano Marino, Francesco Peditto, Riccardo Scoglio, Salvatore Totaro, Giuseppe Pantano, Giuseppe Simone and Carmen Simone. We also gratefully acknowledge midwives and nurses, particularly drs. Rita Laccoto and Franco Previte.

Funding

This work was partly supported by a grant from the Regional Department of Health (Assessorato Regionale alla Sanità, Programma per lo sviluppo del Servizio Sanitario Regionale, bando 2007, Prot. no. 3/Dip/1097) awarded to S.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Salvatore Benvenga, Roberto Vita & Flavia Di Bari

  2. Master Program on Childhood, Adolescent and Women’s Endocrine Health, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Salvatore Benvenga

  3. Interdepartmental Program on Molecular & Clinical Endocrinology, and Women’s Endocrine Health, University Hospital, A.O.U. Policlinico G. Martino, 98125, Messina, Italy

    Salvatore Benvenga

  4. Department of Human Pathology Gaetano Barresi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Roberta Granese & Maria Le Donne

  5. Department of Biomedical, Dental, Morphologic and Functional Image Sciences, University of Messina, 98125, Messina, Italy

    Daniela Metro

Authors
  1. Salvatore Benvenga
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  2. Roberto Vita
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  3. Flavia Di Bari
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  4. Roberta Granese
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  5. Daniela Metro
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  6. Maria Le Donne
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Correspondence to Flavia Di Bari.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. Approval for this study was given from the ad hoc committee of the Regional Department of Health (protocol no. 3/1097).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Benvenga, S., Vita, R., Di Bari, F. et al. Stable consumption of swordfish favors, whereas stable consumption of oily fish protects from, development of postpartum thyroiditis. Endocrine 65, 94–101 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-019-01882-4

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