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Pawel Zagrodzki,^1,2 Hanna Szmigiel,³ Ryszard Ratajczak,⁴ Zbigniew Szybinski,⁵ and Zofia Zachwieja¹

¹Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
²Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cracow, Poland
³Department of Clinical Biochemistry, ⁴Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Polish-American Children's Hospital, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
⁵Department of Endocrinology, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland

Abstract

Possible interactions between selenium and iodine metabolism were investigated in 7- to 16-year-old children with goiter (n = 136) living in southeastern Poland in iodine-deficient areas influenced by a sulfur industry. The Se-iodine interactions in these children were compared to the interactions in children from outside of that region (n = 38) . Blood selenium (BSe) concentration and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity were much lower in the study group (64.1 ± 15.7 µg/L ; 111.0 ± 27.6 U/L) than in the control group (85.3 ± 19.6 µg/L ; 182.4 ± 35.6 U/L) . Almost all of the data [plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, plasma free thyroxine (fT₄) concentration] fell within the reference limits. There was no statistically significant difference between the control and the study groups with respect to fT₄ and TSH. However, statistically significant differences of fT₄ and TSH in the study group were revealed between females belonging to the lower (n = 21 ; fT₄, 16.1 ± 3.3 pmol/L ; TSH, 1.83 ± 1.05 mU/L) and upper Se quartiles (n = 24 ; fT₄, 14.5 ± 2.2 pmol/L ; TSH, 1.26 ± 0.90 mU/L) , p < 0.05. Neither group differed in iodine in urine concentration, age, and body mass index. The difference in fT₄ concentrations can be attributed to an Se deficiency. The relationship exists only for females, which suggests a sex-linked hormonal response to concomitant Se and iodine deficiencies. Key words: fT₄, glutathione peroxidase, goiter, iodine, selenium, sulfur, thyroid, TSH. Environ Health Perspect 108:67-71 (2000) . [Online 14 December 1999]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/108p67-71zagrodzki/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to P. Zagrodzki, Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Cracow, Poland. Telephone: 4812 658-40-21, ext. 48-52. Fax: 4812 657-02-62. E-mail: zagrodzki@bron.ifj.edu.pl

We thank M. Krosniak (Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University) for his help in blood collecting. The excellent technical assistance of M. Bartyzel (Institute of Nuclear Physics) is greatly appreciated.

Received 11 January 1999 ; accepted 27 July 1999.