All issues > Volume 31(3); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(3):329-338. Published online March 31, 1988.

The Prevalence of Antithyroid Autoantibodies in Korean Children.

Bung Hai Ahn¹, Sei Won Yang¹, Hyung Ro Moon¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received: November 17, 1987;

Abstract

The prevalence of antithyroid autoantibodies and the relationship between the presence of autoantibodies and thyroid functions were studied in 752 Korean children of 10 to 15 years of age with normal thyroids. Antimicrosomal antibodies (AMA) were measured by the indirect agglutination technique using artificial gelatin particle carriers sensitized with thyroid microsomal antigen and antithyroglobulin antibodies (ATA) by the tanned red cell hemagglutination technique. Circulating AMA were detected in 3.3% and ATA in 1.0%. The prevalences of AMA and ATA were 2.9% and 0.5% in 431 boys, and 3.7% and 1.5% in 321 girls, respectively. Neither antibody showed any significant sex or age difference. High titers equal to or greater than 1:100² of one both of the antibodies were not detected. The serum T3, T4, and TSH values (mean± standard deveiation) of 26 antibody postive children were 120.1 ±47.2 ng% 9.2 ±2.7µg% and 2.7 ±1.5 µU/ml and those of 36 antibody negative children were 136.4 ±35.8 µg% and 2.9±1.8 µU/ml, respectively. There was no difference in the seurm T3, T4 and TSH values between the antibody positive and negative groups. It might be concluded that the incidentally found antithyroid antibodies in single determination in children without apparent thyroid abnormality may not have the same clinical predictive significance with regard to the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases as in adults, and appropriate follow-up for the time course of autoantibody and thyroid function will elucidate the prognostic significance of antithyroid autoantibodies in relation to the development of overt hypothyroidism in children.

Keywords :Antithyroid autoantibody, Thyroid function test