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Effects of administration of iron, iodine and simultaneous iron-plus-iodine on the thyroid hormone profile in iron-deficient adolescent Iranian girls

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 545–552 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate whether iron supplementation can improve thyroid hormone function in iron-deficient adolescent girls.

Design:

A double-blind randomized intervention study.

Setting:

The study was performed from 2002 through 2003 in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Subjects:

103 iron-deficient non-anaemic girls who fulfilled all inclusion criteria were included, and 94 subjects successfully completed the study.

Interventions:

Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups and treated with a single oral dose of 190 mg iodine plus 300 mg ferrous sulphate 5 times/week (n=24), 300 mg ferrous sulphate 5 times/week (n=23), a single oral dose of 190 mg iodine (n=25), or a placebo (n=22) for 12 weeks.

Results:

All groups were comparable at baseline. After the intervention, there was a significant increase in ferritin and transferrin saturation in the iron+iodine group (17.6 vs 8.7 μg/dl, and 18.8 vs 7.2%, respectively, P<0.001 for both) and in the iron group (P<0.001 for both). Urinary iodine doubled in the iron+iodine group and in the iodine group (P<0.001 for both). Thyroid indices tT4, tT3 and T3RU increased and reverse RT3 decreased in the iron+iodine group (10 vs 8.9 μg/dl, P< 0.001; 143 vs 138 μg/dl, P<0.05; 32.3 vs 28.4%, P<0.001 and 24.8 vs 44.2 ng/dl, P<0.001, respectively) and in the iron group. These two groups did not differ for any of the four indices, but both differed significantly from the iodine and placebo groups.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that improvement of iron status was accompanied by an improvement in some indices of thyroid hormones.

Sponsorship:

This study was supported by the Dean of Research Affairs of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to Dr François Simondon, Director of the Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit (UR024), centre IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développment), Montpellier, for his excellent constant assistance at all stages of data analysis, and his contribution to development of the manuscript. We thank the participating students, their mothers and their teachers for their compliance and patience. We are also grateful for financial support from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran

    M H Eftekhari, M Jalali, S A Keshavarz & M R Eshraghian

  2. UR024, Epidémiologie et Prévention, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier

    K B Simondon & E Elguero

  3. France,

    K B Simondon & E Elguero

  4. Endocrine Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    N Saadat

Authors
  1. M H Eftekhari
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  2. K B Simondon
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  3. M Jalali
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  4. S A Keshavarz
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  5. E Elguero
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M H Eftekhari.

Additional information

Guarantor: MH Eftekhari.

Contributors: MHE conceived and conducted the trial. MRE, MHE and NS contributed to the study protocol, and MJ, SAK and MHE carried out the laboratory work. MHE and EE conducted the statistical analysis, and MHE drafted the first version of the manuscript. KBS contributed to the design of the analysis, interpretation of the results and to the manuscript.

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Eftekhari, M., Simondon, K., Jalali, M. et al. Effects of administration of iron, iodine and simultaneous iron-plus-iodine on the thyroid hormone profile in iron-deficient adolescent Iranian girls. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 545–552 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602349

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