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Korobova EM, Baranchukov VS, Bech J. Cartographic evaluation of the risk of natural elements' deficiency in the soil cover provoking spatial variation of the endemic morbidity level (on example of thyroid morbidity among population of the Central Federal District, Russia). ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:109. [PMID: 38459397 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01912-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The main goal of the study is to evaluate the contribution of the natural geochemical risk in the central part of the Eastern European Plain to the spatial distribution of human diseases provoked by the deficiency of biologically significant microelements (Co, Cu, and I) in the environment. The Central Federal District (CFD) of Russia, located in the Eastern European Plain is characterized by a deficiency of Co, Cu, and I in the environment (soils, local food). To access the risk of thyroid diseases associated with Co, Cu, and I content in soils of the CFD based on published data of trace elements concentrations and digital soil map we create maps of the elements variation in soil cover allowing to estimate their mean concentration in the regions. The obtained cartographic estimates are comparable with the previously published assessments and averaged study results at the regional level. Comparison with medical data on thyroid disease morbidity from 2013 to 2017 at the regional level showed a significant inverse correlation with the cartographic estimates of soil I and combined (Co + Cu + I) status with due consideration of soil structure (12 regions, except for those affected by technogenic radioiodine contamination and Moscow urbanized regions). The urban population suffered from thyroid diseases to a higher extent in comparison with the rural population, which corresponds to our previous estimates. The results confirmed the possibility of assessing the geochemical risk of endemic diseases based on geochemical soil maps and identifying the negative contribution of micronutrient deficiency in the environment to endemic morbidity in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mikhailovna Korobova
- Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Jaume Bech
- Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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Chirikova E, McConnell RJ, O'Kane P, Yauseyenka V, Little MP, Minenko V, Drozdovitch V, Veyalkin I, Hatch M, Chan JM, Huang CY, Mabuchi K, Cahoon EK, Rozhko A, Zablotska LB. Association between exposure to radioactive iodine after the Chernobyl accident and thyroid volume in Belarus 10-15 years later. Environ Health 2022; 21:5. [PMID: 34996456 PMCID: PMC8742457 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00820-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is a robust literature on environmental exposure to iodine-131 (131I) in childhood and adolescence and the risk of thyroid cancer and benign nodules, little is known about its effects on thyroid volume. METHODS To assess the effect of 131I dose to the thyroid on the volume of the thyroid gland, we examined the data from the baseline screening of the Belarusian-American Cohort Study of residents of Belarus who were exposed to the Chernobyl fallout at ages ≤18 years. Thyroid dose estimates were based on individual thyroid activity measurements made shortly after the accident and dosimetric data from questionnaires obtained 10-15 years later at baseline screening. During baseline screening, thyroid gland volume was assessed from thyroid ultrasound measurements. The association between radiation dose and thyroid volume was modeled using linear regression where radiation dose was expressed with power terms to address non-linearity. The model was adjusted for attained age, sex, and place of residence, and their modifying effects were examined. RESULTS The analysis was based on 10,703 subjects. We found a statistically significant positive association between radiation dose and thyroid volume (P < 0.001). Heterogeneity of association was observed by attained age (P < 0.001) with statistically significant association remaining only in the subgroup of ≥18 years at screening (P < 0.001). For this group, increase in dose from 0.0005 to 0.15 Gy was associated with a 1.27 ml (95% CI: 0.46, 2.07) increase in thyroid volume. The estimated effect did not change with increasing doses above 0.15 Gy. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to examine the association between 131I dose to the thyroid gland and thyroid volume in a population of individuals exposed during childhood and systematically screened 10-15 years later. It provides evidence for a moderate statistically significant increase in thyroid volume among those who were ≥ 18 years at screening. Given that this effect was observed at very low doses and was restricted to a narrow dose range, further studies are necessary to better understand the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Chirikova
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | | | - Patrick O'Kane
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vasilina Yauseyenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Mark P Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Victor Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ilya Veyalkin
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - June M Chan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Chiung-Yu Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alexander Rozhko
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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Zupunski L, Ostroumova E, Drozdovitch V, Veyalkin I, Ivanov V, Yamashita S, Cardis E, Kesminiene A. Thyroid Cancer after Exposure to Radioiodine in Childhood and Adolescence: 131I-Related Risk and the Role of Selected Host and Environmental Factors. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1481. [PMID: 31581656 PMCID: PMC6826556 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we expanded on a previously published population-based case-control study on subjects exposed to iodine-131 (131I) from Chernobyl fallout at age ≤18 years using improved individual 131I absorbed thyroid doses. We further studied the impact of iodine deficiency and other selected host risk factors on 131I-related thyroid cancer risk after childhood exposure. We included 298 thyroid cancer cases and 1934 matched controls from the most contaminated regions of Belarus and the Russian Federation. We performed statistical analysis using conditional logistic regression models. We found a statistically significant linear quadratic dose-effect association between thyroid cancer and 131I thyroid dose in the range up to 5 grays (Gy). Self-reported personal history of benign nodules, any thyroid disease except thyroid cancer, family history of thyroid cancer, increased body mass index, and deficient stable iodine status at the time of the accident were statistically significant risk factors (p < 0.05 for each factor) for thyroid cancer after adjustment for thyroid 131I dose effect. Subjects who received stable iodine supplementation in the years after the accident had a significantly lower 131I-related risk of thyroid cancer. Our findings are important for thyroid cancer prevention, and for further improvement of medical surveillance in the affected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljubica Zupunski
- Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, 69372 Lyon, France; (E.O.); (A.K.)
| | - Evgenia Ostroumova
- Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, 69372 Lyon, France; (E.O.); (A.K.)
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, U.S. DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Ilya Veyalkin
- The Republican Research Centre for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 246040 Gomel, Republic of Belarus;
| | - Viktor Ivanov
- National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Obninsk, 249036 Kaluga Region, Russia;
| | | | - Elisabeth Cardis
- ISGlobal-Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Ausrele Kesminiene
- Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, 69372 Lyon, France; (E.O.); (A.K.)
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Chernobyl-related thyroid cancer. Eur J Epidemiol 2018; 33:429-431. [DOI: 10.1007/s10654-018-0391-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Peters KO, Tronko M, Hatch M, Oliynyk V, Terekhova G, Pfeiffer RM, Shpak VM, McConnell RJ, Drozdovitch V, Little MP, Zablotska LB, Mabuchi K, Brenner AV, Cahoon EK. Factors associated with serum thyroglobulin in a Ukrainian cohort exposed to iodine-131 from the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 156:801-809. [PMID: 28505591 PMCID: PMC10693440 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is associated with the presence of thyroid disease and has been proposed as a biomarker of iodine status. Few studies have examined factors related to serum Tg in populations environmentally exposed to ionizing radiation and living in regions with endemic mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency. METHODS We screened 10,430 individuals who were living in Ukraine and under 18 years of age at the time of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident for thyroid disease from 2001 to 2003. We estimated the percent change (PC) in serum Tg associated with demographic factors, iodine-131 thyroid dose, and indicators of thyroid structure and function using linear regression. We also examined these relationships for individuals with and without indications of thyroid abnormality. RESULTS Mean and median serum Tg levels were higher among participants with abnormal thyroid structure/function. Percent change in serum Tg increased among females, smokers and with older age (p-values<0.001), and Tg increased with increasing thyroid volume, and serum thyrotropin (p-values for trend<0.001). We found no evidence of significant associations between iodine-131 thyroid dose and Tg. Serum Tg levels were inversely associated with iodized salt intake (PC=-7.90, 95% confidence interval: -12.08, -3.52), and over the range of urinary iodine concentration, the odds of having elevated serum Tg showed a U-shaped curve with elevated Tg at low and high urinary iodine concentrations. CONCLUSION Serum Tg may be a useful indicator of population iodine status and a non-specific biomarker of structural and functional thyroid abnormalities in epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamau O Peters
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Mykola Tronko
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Problems of Endocrinology, State Institution 'V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine', Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Valeriy Oliynyk
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Problems of Endocrinology, State Institution 'V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine', Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Galyna Terekhova
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Problems of Endocrinology, State Institution 'V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine', Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Ruth M Pfeiffer
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Victor M Shpak
- Department of Medical Consequences of the Chernobyl accident and International Cooperation, State Institution 'V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine', Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Robert J McConnell
- Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mark P Little
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alina V Brenner
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Jargin SV. Debate on the Chernobyl Disaster: Response to Alison Rosamund Katz. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES 2016; 47:150-159. [PMID: 27956579 DOI: 10.1177/0020731416679343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Drozd VM, Saenko VA, Brenner AV, Drozdovitch V, Pashkevich VI, Kudelsky AV, Demidchik YE, Branovan I, Shiglik N, Rogounovitch TI, Yamashita S, Biko J, Reiners C. Major Factors Affecting Incidence of Childhood Thyroid Cancer in Belarus after the Chernobyl Accident: Do Nitrates in Drinking Water Play a Role? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137226. [PMID: 26397978 PMCID: PMC4580601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the major health consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident in 1986 was a dramatic increase in incidence of thyroid cancer among those who were aged less than 18 years at the time of the accident. This increase has been directly linked in several analytic epidemiological studies to iodine-131 (131I) thyroid doses received from the accident. However, there remains limited understanding of factors that modify the 131I-related risk. Focusing on post-Chernobyl pediatric thyroid cancer in Belarus, we reviewed evidence of the effects of radiation, thyroid screening, and iodine deficiency on regional differences in incidence rates of thyroid cancer. We also reviewed current evidence on content of nitrate in groundwater and thyroid cancer risk drawing attention to high levels of nitrates in open well water in several contaminated regions of Belarus, i.e. Gomel and Brest, related to the usage of nitrogen fertilizers. In this hypothesis generating study, based on ecological data and biological plausibility, we suggest that nitrate pollution may modify the radiation-related risk of thyroid cancer contributing to regional differences in rates of pediatric thyroid cancer in Belarus. Analytic epidemiological studies designed to evaluate joint effect of nitrate content in groundwater and radiation present a promising avenue of research and may provide useful insights into etiology of thyroid cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina M. Drozd
- The International fund “Help for patients with radiation-induced thyroid cancer “Arnica”, Minsk, Belarus
- Department of Endocrinology, Belarusian Medical Academy for Postgraduate Education, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Vladimir A. Saenko
- Department of Radiation Molecular Epidemiology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Alina V. Brenner
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vasilii I. Pashkevich
- Laboratory of Hydrogeology and Hydroecology, Institute for Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Anatoliy V. Kudelsky
- Laboratory of Hydrogeology and Hydroecology, Institute for Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Yuri E. Demidchik
- Department of Oncology, Belarusian Medical Academy for Postgraduate Education, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Igor Branovan
- Project Chernobyl, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Nikolay Shiglik
- Project Chernobyl, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Tatiana I. Rogounovitch
- Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Shunichi Yamashita
- Department of Radiation Molecular Epidemiology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Johannes Biko
- The International fund “Help for patients with radiation-induced thyroid cancer “Arnica”, Minsk, Belarus
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Nuclear Medicine, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Reiners
- The International fund “Help for patients with radiation-induced thyroid cancer “Arnica”, Minsk, Belarus
- Clinic and Polyclinic of Nuclear Medicine, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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Zimmermann MB, Galetti V. Iodine intake as a risk factor for thyroid cancer: a comprehensive review of animal and human studies. Thyroid Res 2015; 8:8. [PMID: 26146517 PMCID: PMC4490680 DOI: 10.1186/s13044-015-0020-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy and in most countries, incidence rates are increasing. Although differences in population iodine intake are a determinant of benign thyroid disorders, the role of iodine intake in TC remains uncertain. We review the evidence linking iodine intake and TC from animal studies, ecological studies of iodine intake and differentiated and undifferentiated TC, iodine intake and mortality from TC and occult TC at autopsy, as well as the case–control and cohort studies of TC and intake of seafood and milk products. We perform a new meta-analysis of pooled measures of effect from case–control studies of total iodine intake and TC. Finally, we examine the post-Chernobyl studies linking iodine status and risk of TC after radiation exposure. The available evidence suggests iodine deficiency is a risk factor for TC, particularly for follicular TC and possibly, for anaplastic TC. This conclusion is based on: a) consistent data showing an increase in TC (mainly follicular) in iodine deficient animals; b) a plausible mechanism (chronic TSH stimulation induced by iodine deficiency); c) consistent data from before and after studies of iodine prophylaxis showing a decrease in follicular TC and anaplastic TC; d) the indirect association between changes in iodine intake and TC mortality in the decade from 2000 to 2010; e) the autopsy studies of occult TC showing higher microcarcinoma rates with lower iodine intakes; and f) the case control studies suggesting lower risk of TC with higher total iodine intakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Zimmermann
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, LFV D21, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Galetti
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, LFV E14, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Sun
- Global Health and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Cahoon EK, Rozhko A, Hatch M, Polyanskaya O, Ostroumova E, Tang M, Nadirov E, Yauseyenka V, Savasteeva I, McConnell RJ, Pfeiffer RM, Brenner AV. Factors associated with serum thyroglobulin levels in a population living in Belarus. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2013; 79:120-7. [PMID: 23190420 PMCID: PMC3870891 DOI: 10.1111/cen.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) has been associated with a number of thyroid disorders and has been proposed as an indicator of iodine deficiency in a population. However, few studies have addressed the epidemiology of Tg in a population-based setting or in the context of exposure to radioactive iodine-131 (I-131). Our objective was to evaluate baseline levels of Tg in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, iodine status and thyroid function for individuals exposed to I-131. DESIGN A population-based cohort assembled in Belarus following the Chornobyl accident provided demographic factors, clinical data and physiological measurements. PARTICIPANTS Our analytical sample included 10,344 subjects of whom 7890 had no thyroid disease and 2454 had evidence of structural or functional thyroid abnormality. MEASUREMENTS Standardized assays were used to measure serum Tg, urinary iodine, TSH and antibodies to Tg and thyroid peroxidase. Ultrasound was used to assess the presence of nodules and estimate thyroid volume. RESULTS In the fully adjusted model, percent change in Tg was significantly increased among females, smokers and subjects of older age and Tg increased with decreasing urinary iodine concentration, increasing serum TSH and increasing thyroid volume (P-values for trend <0·0001), and presence of thyroid nodules (P < 0·05). We found a complex interaction between region of residence, rural/urban living, presence/absence of thyroid abnormalities and serum Tg (P < 0·0001). CONCLUSIONS In residents of Belarus, serum Tg is significantly related to presence of thyroid abnormalities as well as indicators of thyroid function and iodine deficiency and, therefore, could be used to characterize the iodine status and thyroid function of individuals in the context of epidemiological study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, DHHS, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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