Vitamin a Status Does Not Contribute to the Residual Goiter in Schoolchildren of Isfahan, an Iodine Replenished Area Publisher Pubmed



Hashemipour M¹ ; Keshteli AH^{1, 2} ; Dastjerdi MS¹ ; Amini M¹ ; Kelishadi R³ ; Koleini N^{1, 2}
Source: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition Published:2009

Abstract

Two thousand three hundred and thirty-one schoolchildren were selected by multi-stage random sampling. The thyroid size was estimated by inspection and palpation. The urinary iodine concentration and serum retinol (SR) were measured in 454 and 468 schoolchildren, respectively. Overall, 32.9% of 2,331 children had goiter. The median urinary iodine concentration was 195.5 μg/l. The mean±standard deviation of SR in goitrous and non-goitrous children was 34.84±7.28 μg/dl and 33.73±7.87 μg/dl, respectively (P=0.14). There was no child with vitamin A deficiency (SR <20 μg/dl) in both the goitrous and non-goitrous groups. The prevalence of subjects with low vitamin A status (SR <30 μg/dl) in the goitrous and non-goitrous groups was 27.7% and 33.3%, respectively (P=0.21). In conclusion, the present study reveals that vitamin A deficiency and low vitamin A status are not among the contributing factors of goiter persistence in the studied area, and the role of other responsible factors should be investigated. © 2009 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved.