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Li J, He Y, Ren B, Zhang Z, Meng F, Zhang X, Zhou Z, Li B, Li F, Liu L, Shen H. The Thyroid Condition and Residual Clinical Signs in 31 Existing Endemic Neurological Cretins After 42 Years of Iodine Supplementation in China. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:911487. [PMID: 35898470 PMCID: PMC9309213 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.911487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUD Endemic cretinism is the most severe manifestation among the iodine deficiency-related disorders. The clinical status of the cretins may be modified subsequently by the duration and severity of the disease. We aimed to reassess the clinical status and thyroid function of 31 surviving "neurological cretins" after 42 years of iodine supplementation in a historically severely iodine deficiency area of China. METHODS It was a cross-sectional study in design and we investigated all 31 surviving neurological cretins and 85 controls. A detailed neurological examination was conducted on each patients. All the participants were given a questionnaire and underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the thyroid. The serum levels of thyroid hormones, thyroid antibodies, serum iodine concentration (SIC) and urine iodine concentration (UIC) were measured. RESULTS The neurological cretins had shorter stature than that of the control. Neurological damage is still present in patients with cretinism. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid nodule in the cretins was significantly higher (χ2 =4.766, P=0.029 and χ2 =17.077, P<0.0001, respectively) compared with the control. After adjusting for confounding factors, endemic neurocretinism was found to be an independent risk factor for subclinical hypothyroidism (OR=4.412; 95% CI: 1.358-14.334; P=0.014) and thyroid nodule (OR=6.433; 95% CI: 2.323-17.816; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Iodine supplementation after birth does not reverse the neurological damage that results from maternal/foetal hypothyroidism in utero and is subsequently manifested as neurological cretinism. There is a cross-sectional association between endemic neurocretinism and subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid nodule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianshuang Li
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University (Daqing), Daqing, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanhong He
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bingxuan Ren
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhaojun Zhang
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Fangang Meng
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoye Zhang
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Baoxiang Li
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Fan Li
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lixiang Liu
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Hongmei Shen, ; Lixiang Liu,
| | - Hongmei Shen
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China
- National Health Commission and Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Hongmei Shen, ; Lixiang Liu,
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Congenital hypothyroidism is associated with intermediate filament misregulation, glutamate transporters down-regulation and MAPK activation in developing rat brain. Neurotoxicology 2008; 29:1092-9. [PMID: 18845185 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2008.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2007] [Revised: 09/10/2008] [Accepted: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Developmental thyroid hormone (TH) deficiency leads to mental retardation and neurological deficits in humans. In this study, congenital hypothyroidism was induced in rats by adding 0.05% 6-propyl-2-thiouracil in the drinking water during gestation and suckling period. This treatment induced hyperphosphorylation of neurofilaments, the neuronal intermediate filament (IF) proteins, of heavy, medium and low molecular weight (NF-H, NF-M and NF-L, respectively) without altering the phosphorylation level of astrocyte IF proteins, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin in cerebral cortex of rats. NF-H was hyperphosphorylated on KSP repeats in the carboxy-terminal tail domain. Furthermore, the immunocontent of GFAP and NF subunits was down-regulated, while vimentin was unaltered both in tissue homogenate and in cytoskeletal fraction of hypothyroid animals. Moreover, we verified the immunocontent of astrocyte glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) as well as activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in hypothyroid rats. Results showed that hypothyroidism is associated with decreased GLAST and GLT-1 immunocontent. Additionally, we demonstrated increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation without altering Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38(MAPK) phosphorylation. However, total JNK levels were down-regulated. Taken together, these results suggest that the thyroid status could modulate the integrity of neuronal cytoskeleton acting on the endogenous NF-associated phosphorylating system and that such effect could be related to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, as well as ERK1/2 and JNK modulation. These events could be somehow related to the neurological dysfunction described in hypothyroidism.
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Arnold AM, Anderson GW, McIver B, Eberhardt NL. A novel dynamin III isoform is up-regulated in the central nervous system in hypothyroidism. Int J Dev Neurosci 2003; 21:267-75. [PMID: 12850060 DOI: 10.1016/s0736-5748(03)00053-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypothyroidism in early postnatal development leads to abnormal CNS development that may be controlled in part at the level of gene transcription. Comparing the expression of euthyroid (EuT) and hypothyroid (HypoT) rat brain mRNAs by differential display PCR (ddPCR), we identified a novel dynamin III mRNA that was up-regulated in the hypothyroid state. Northern analysis of brain mRNA using a probe from the dynamin III open reading frame (ORF) revealed two transcripts of 3.0 and 7.2kb size. The 3.0 kb transcript was observed in testis and brain, but not liver or lung RNA. In the brain the 3.0 kb transcript increased from 25 to 57% of adult (Ad) levels from postnatal day (p) p2-p15, but was not significantly regulated by thyroid hormone status. In contrast, the more abundant 7.2 kb transcript increased from 16.8 to 48.0% of adult levels from p2 to p15 in euthyroid rat pups but from 54.0% of adult levels at p2 to 97.9% of adult levels by p15 in hypothyroid pups. Overlapping cDNA clones from a rat brain cDNA library defined the 7.2kb mRNA, which consisted of the complete ORF, containing a four amino acid insert at the end of the pleckstrin homology domain (PHD), and two unique 3'-flanking regions, that are likely derived from alternative processing. Thus, the 7.2 kb dynamin III transcript is brain-specific and selectively regulated by thyroid hormone status. The data suggest that the regulation of dynamin III by altered thyroid hormone status may affect synaptogenesis in the CNS through dynamin's essential roles in synaptic vesicle and receptor recycling, neurotransmitter reuptake, and growth factor receptor signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Arnold
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Abstract
Thyroid hormones regulate neuronal proliferation, migration, process outgrowth, synaptic development, and myelin formation in specific brain regions. Because brain development occurs during discrete windows of time, inappropriate levels of thyroid hormones in definitive periods can produce permanent damage, the nature of which depends upon the timing and magnitude of the insult. Thyroid hormones cross the placenta and enter the brain primarily as thyroxine (T4); therefore, conditions selectively lowering serum T4 levels alter brain hormone availability. Triiodothyronine (T3) is the predominant form of the hormone that binds to the receptor. T3 is produced from T4 in the brain by the enzyme type II, 5'-deiodinase. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic environmental toxicants that bear a striking structural resemblance to the active thyroid hormones and can, depending upon the species, dosage, and congener used, act as agonists, antagonists, and partial agonists to thyroid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P Porterfield
- Department of Physiology and Endocrinology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-4765, USA.
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Forrest D, Erway LC, Ng L, Altschuler R, Curran T. Thyroid hormone receptor beta is essential for development of auditory function. Nat Genet 1996; 13:354-7. [PMID: 8673137 DOI: 10.1038/ng0796-354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Congenital thyroid disorders are often associated with profound deafness, indicating a requirement for thyroid hormone (T3) and its receptors in the development of hearing. Two T3 receptor genes, Tr alpha and Tr beta are differentially expressed, although in overlapping patterns, during development. Thus, the extent to which they mediate unique or redundant functions is unclear. We demonstrate that Tr beta-deficient (Thrb-/-) mice exhibit a permanent deficit in auditory function across a wide range of frequencies, although they show no other overt neurological defects. The auditory-evoked brainstem response (ABR) in Thrb-/- mice, although greatly diminished, displayed normal waveforms, which suggested that the primary defect resides in the cochlea. Although hypothyroidism causes cochlear malformation, there was no evidence of this in Thrb-/- mice. These findings suggest that Tr beta controls the maturation of auditory function but not morphogenesis of the cochlea. Thrb-/- mice provide a model for the human endocrine disorder of resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), which is typically associated with dominant mutations in Tr beta. However, deafness is generally absent in RTH, indicating that dominant and recessive mutations in Tr beta have different consequences on the auditory system. Our results identify Tr beta as an essential transcription factor for auditory development and indicate that distinct Tr genes serve certain unique functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Forrest
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, New York, New York 10029, USA
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Aghini Lombardi FA, Pinchera A, Antonangeli L, Rago T, Chiovato L, Bargagna S, Bertucelli B, Ferretti G, Sbrana B, Marcheschi M. Mild iodine deficiency during fetal/neonatal life and neuropsychological impairment in Tuscany. J Endocrinol Invest 1995; 18:57-62. [PMID: 7759786 DOI: 10.1007/bf03349700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The neuropsychological performance of schoolchildren living in areas with present and past iodine deficiency in Tuscany was investigated. Children were submitted to: a) block design subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and a modified version of the WISC-R coding subtest which evaluate the general neuropsychological and cognitive performance, independently from familial cultural background; b) simple reaction time (RT) session which evaluates the efficiency of the whole information processing and nervous transmission mechanisms. Neuropsychological performance was tested in 107 children living in Borgo a Mozzano, an area of mild iodine deficiency (IDA) with a median urinary iodine excretion (UIE) of 64 micrograms/L (mean +/- SD: 80.1 +/- 57). One hundred and six sex and age-matched children living in Marina di Pisa, an iodine sufficient coastal village of Tuscany (ISA) with a median UIE of 142 micrograms/L (mean +/- SD: 173 +/- 95) were used as controls. Tests for neuropsychological performance were performed in 57 children living in the village of Vagli, an area with past iodine deficiency (PIDA): 30 children born before iodine prophylaxis (Group 1), when the median UIE was 32 micrograms/L (mean +/- SD: 47 +/- 22), 27 children born after the institution of iodine prophylaxis (Group 2), when the median UIE was 109 micrograms/L (mean +/- SD: 130 +/- 73). Sex and age-matched ISA-children were used as controls for each group. RTs were significantly delayed (p < 0.05) in IDA than in ISA children, while block design and coding subtests showed no significant difference.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Abstract
Based on our data, the clinical picture of endemic cretinism results from the product of two pathophysiological events. Both events share a common feature, namely iodine deficiency, but act at different points in time. The first event occurs in all cretins and represents the prenatal action of thyroid hormone deficiency on brain development, transmitted vertically from mother to fetus, resulting in the neurological disorder of endemic cretinism. A consistent pattern and intensity of neurological, intellectual, and audiometric deficit is common to and equally present in all types of endemic cretin. The nature of these deficits points to an intrauterine insult to the developing fetal nervous system around the time of the midtrimester. The second event represents the postnatal action of thyroid hormone deficiency on somatic as well as brain development. Whereas previous workers had attributed the differences in the clinical presentation of endemic cretinism to the presence or absence of neurological features (i.e. prenatal hypothyroidism), the distinction between the types of endemic cretin can be related to the length and severity of postnatal thyroid hormone deficiency. Endemic cretins with predominant neurological features have had only transient hypothyroidism in the postnatal period, evidenced by their near normal thyroid function and by a lack of hypothyroid clinical features. By contrast, cretins with marked myxedematous features were characterized by permanent and severe postnatal thyroid hormone deficiency. These cretins, in addition to signs of neurological damage, were typically dwarfed, sexually immature, with marked clinical features of myxedema. This second event, influenced by the thyroid gland's morphologic response to its environment (goiter or thyroid atrophy), dictates the final clinical outcome. In conclusion, our hypothesis states that the clinical expression of endemic cretinism is determined by the sum of two pathophysiologic processes. The first process is fetal hypothyroidism which results in the neurological damage of the disorder and the second process is the duration and magnitude of postnatal hypothyroidism which dictates the final clinical appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Boyages
- Department of Clinical Endocrinology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
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Eastman CJ, Phillips DI. Endemic goitre and iodine deficiency disorders--aetiology, epidemiology and treatment. BAILLIERE'S CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM 1988; 2:719-35. [PMID: 3066326 DOI: 10.1016/s0950-351x(88)80062-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Disorders caused by iodine deficiency continue to be a major health problem in many underdeveloped areas of the world. The most significant is the impaired mental and physical development which occurs as a result of iodine deprivation early in life. Individuals in affected communities show a spectrum of abnormalities which can be attributed to two interacting pathological processes. Fetal hypothyroidism in the first and early second trimester predominantly affects the developing nervous system causing deaf-mutism and mental retardation. If hypothyroidism occurs in the early postnatal period the main abnormalities are growth stunting and related somatic abnormalities. Subclinical deficits of intellectual and motor development may also be found in apparently normal individuals living in affected areas. Although dietary iodine deficiency is clearly the major aetiological factor in both endemic goitre and cretinism, cofactors such as goitrogens, other trace element deficiencies and immunological mechanisms may greatly modify the expression of these disorders. Iodine supplementation programmes form the basis of the public health strategy in combatting these disorders. Where the iodization of foodstuffs is not feasible, an alternative is the use of iodine containing oil which can be given orally or intramuscularly to provide a long-lasting supply of iodine.
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