Endocrine Abstracts

Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy should be adequately managed to prevent maternal and fetal complications. The diagnosing of hyperthyroidism in pregnant women is challenged by the physiological alterations in thyroid function tests. Furthermore, the distinction between gestational hyperthyroidism and the hyperthyroidism of Graves’ disease presents a clinical challenge. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder associated with the presence of thyroid stimulating hormone...

Background: Thyroid hormones interact with sympathetic stimulation for activating Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) during cold exposure. Triiodothyronine (T3) upregulates the expression of Uncoupling Protein-1 (UCP1), a protein in BAT essential for heat production. Studies of human cold exposure have demonstrated both increased production and clearance of T3. Greenlandic hunters are characterized by mandatory chronic cold exposure, and cold adaptation is inevitable. Hence, they prov...

Objectives: Maternal hypothyroidism in pregnancy has been proposed to increase the risk of preeclampsia, but uncertainties persist regarding the underlying causal mechanisms. Thus, it remains unclear if an increased risk of preeclampsia in hypothyroid pregnant women is caused by the lack of thyroid hormones or by the thyroid autoimmunity per se.Methods: We performed a national and regional study in the Danish population. The national study was r...

Background: Morbidity and mortality are associated with thyroid hormone levels in populations. This has invited a debate on what is the better parameter for assessment of thyroid function: the controlling hormone thyrotropin (TSH) or peripheral thyroid hormone measurements (thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)).Aim: To assess the ability of TSH and total T4 (TT4) to discriminate between subtle differences in thyroid function.Me...

Objectives: The Danish population was previously iodine deficient with regional differences, and a mandatory iodine fortification of salt was introduced more than 20 years ago. Despite iodine fortification and frequent use of iodine-containing supplements, the iodine status in Danish pregnant women was insufficient when evaluated in 2012 (median urinary iodine concentration (UIC): 101 µg/l). From July 1, 2019 the authorities implemented a mandatory increase from 13 to 20 ...

Background: Iodine nutrition relies on dietary intake. Marine foods are iodine rich, and they contributed markedly to the iodine intake among populations in Greenland. However, dietary habits are drifting away from the traditional diet dominated by iodine rich marine foods such as seal, whale, and seabirds. This led us to monitor iodine nutrition among populations in Greenland.Methods: Cohort studies were conducted in 1998, 2008, and 2018 including 50-69...

Introduction: Mild iodine deficiency in the Faroe Islands raises a concern for pregnant women. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis, making it crucial for thyroid function during pregnancy and foetal growth. World Health Organization (WHO) classifies iodine intake in pregnant women as insufficient if the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is below 150 µg/l. We investigated how UIC relates to thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in s...

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used as therapy for advanced malignancies. The therapy is based on immune enhancement, thus, autoimmune side effects referred to as immune-related adverse events may occur. Thyroid function abnormalities have been reported, but more evidence is needed to substantiate the main subtypes and course of thyroid disease associated with this treatment.Case report: A 51-year-old woman with metastatic pancreatic canc...

Objectives: Measurement of TSH-receptor antibodies (TRAb) in hyperthyroid, pregnant women is an important tool when distinguishing between the autoimmune Graves’ disease and the physiological gestational hyperthyroidism. Evidence to support a cut-off for TRAb in early pregnancy is needed along with information on the frequency and follow-up of TRAb-positive as opposed to TRAb-negative hyperthyroidism.Methods: Within the North Denmark Region Pregnanc...

Objective: Physiological alterations challenge the assessment of maternal thyroid function in pregnancy. It remains uncertain how the reference ranges vary by week of pregnancy, and how the classification of maternal thyroid disease vary by analytical method and type of thyroid function test.Method: Consecutively collectedserum samples from 6.282 pregnant women in the North Denmark Region, 2011–2013, were used for the measurement of thyrotropin (TS...