Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
Check
Autoimmune thyroiditis affects 10-20% of the female population in the West. Iodine seems to be a important environmental factor in the development of thyroid autoimmunity in genetically susceptible individuals and in precipitating hypothyroidism in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of iodine on thyroid function in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients. In 80 patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis 41 were clinically hypothyroid (Group I) and 3 were clinically euthyroid (Group II). All of them were using iodized salt, and the mean iodine content of iodized salt provided by the patients was 37 ppm which is above the WHO recommended allowance of 15 ppm. The urinary iodide in mg per g of creatinine in Group I patients was significant higher than in Group II patients (p<0.001). Recovery of thyroid function to normal in five of Group I patients in whom iodized salt use terminated, provides further evidence that these patients has iodine induced transient hypothyroidism.
