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Horm Metab Res 1994; 26(5): 238-242
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1001673
Originals Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart · New York

Incidence of Thyroid Autoantibodies in the Endemic Goiter

Anna Zonenberg, I. Kinalska, W. Zarzycki, B. Telejko
  • Department of Endocrinology, Medical School, Bialystok, Poland
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Publication History

1993

1994

Publication Date:
14 March 2008 (online)

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Summary

The aim of our study was to investigate the incidence of thyroid autoantibodies (TA) in the endemic region of the north-eastern Poland. The mean titres of ATMA and TGAb were measured in 1508 randomly chosen persons aged 3 to 68 yrs. ATMA or TGAb were positive in 17% of the population studied. Frequency and mean titres of TA were observed to increase with age. Autoantibodies were more frequently noted in persons with parenchymatous goiter. There was no correlation between the incidence of autoantibodies and goiter enlargement, however, the highest percentage of TGA was noted in people with large thyroid (III). TA were also found in 10% of the subjects without goitre. Our results do not confirm the hypothesis that thyroid autoantibodies play a key role in the pathogenesis of endemic goiter.

Key words

Thyroid Autoantibodies - Endemic Goiter