Trends of thyroid function and autoimmunity to 5 years after the introduction of mandatory iodization in Italy.

Conclusion. In this study there isn't a connection between iodine fortification and iodine-induced hyperthyroidism, and between iodine fortification and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This small increase of TSH values can not find a clear explanation yet. We considered several mechanisms to explain this phenomenon: alterations of Na/I symporter reduce intracellular levels of iodine, and cause a state of hypothyroidism; excessive levels of iodine can increase apoptosis of thyrocytes, as it is demonstrated by several studies; interference from external agents (endocrine disruptors). PMID: 27152602 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: European Annals of Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Tags: Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol Source Type: research