Endemic goitre frequency in Bulgarian school children by combined iodine and selenium deficiency

摘要

The elements most closely associated with the thyroid are iodine and selenium. Selenium is an essential trace element, which plays a key role in thyroid metabolism. The district of Pazardjik is situated in South Bulgaria and is endemic for goitre area with low content of iodine and selenium in the environment The aim of this study is to determine the endemic goitre frequency in schoolchildren aged 14-18 years from the town of Pazardjik and to compare the serum selenium concentration in adolescents with and without goitre. Total 528 schoolchildren /287 girls and 241 boys/ were subjects of the study. The thyroid status was evaluated by clinical examination, according to the recommendations of WHO. Serum Se was measured in representatived groups with endemic goitre grade II. (n=30) and without goitre (n=27) using electrothermal atomic absorbtion spectrometry. The results show that 165 of the adolescents /73 boys and 92 girls / were with endemic goitre /31,25%/. Se concentration in the serum of children with goitre was significant lower in comparison with the adolescents without goitre /P<0,001/. The results give us the ground to continue and to expand the investigations in the future.