All issues > Volume 49(11); 2006

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(11):1211-1215. Published online November 15, 2006.

Short-term follow up of thyroid function after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Seon-Ju SJ Lee¹, Jae-Wook JW Lee¹, Dae-Hyoung DH Lee¹, Young-Joo YJ Kwon¹, Young-Shil YS Park², Hui Sung HS Hwang¹, Sun Young SY Kim³, Ji Kyoung JK Park⁴, Pil-Sang PS Jang¹, Min-Ho MH Jung¹, Nak-Gyun NG Chung¹, Dae-Chul DC Jeong¹, Bin B Cho¹, Hack-Ki HK Kim¹, Byung-Churl BC Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul
³Department of Pediatrics, Busan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Busan, Korea
⁴Department of Pediatircs, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon

Correspondence Bin B Cho ,Email: chobinkr@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: In this study, we analyzed the short term changes of thyroid function, incidence and risk factors of thyroid dysfunction soon after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children.
Methods
: We enrolled 80 pediatric patients following allogeneic HSCT, at the Catholic HSCT center between January, 2004 and February, 2006. Serum TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), total serum thyroxine and total serum triiodothyronine levels were systematically measured in 80 patients before the HSCT, and at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months after HSCT.
Results
: Thyroid function statistically decreased at 1 month after HSCT(P<0.001). Thyroid dysfunction at 1 month was observed in 43 (54 percent) of 80 patients, 31 (39 percent) of whom presented with euthyroid sick syndrome (ETS). Thyroid dysfunction was normalized within 1 year after HSCT. In univariate analysis, malignant disease and the presence of acute graft-versus-host disease (grade ≥II) were risk factors for ETS (P=0.04, 0.01 respectively). In multivariate analysis, we could not detect an independent risk factor for ETS (P=0.19, 0.06 respectively).
Conclusion
: The present study suggests that the incidence of thyroid dysfunction is high after allogeneic HSCT. Therefore, regular monitoring of thyroid hormone levels after HSCT is required.

Keywords :Thyroid function , Euthyroid sick syndrome , Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation