Serum selenium and urinary iodine status in children and adolescents with autoimmune thyroiditis and mild subclinical hypothyroidism Estado del selenio sérico y del yodo urinario en niños y adolescentes con tiroiditis autoinmune e hipotiroidismo subclínico leve
Endocrinologia, Diabetes y Nutricion, ss.501856, 2026 (Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.endinu.2026.501856
- Dergi Adı: Endocrinologia, Diabetes y Nutricion
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, DIALNET
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.501856
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescents, Autoimmune thyroiditis, Children, Iodine, Selenium, Subclinical hypothyroidism
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction: Selenium is an essential trace element involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and antioxidant defense and has been implicated in autoimmune thyroid disease. However, data on the relationship between selenium status, iodine nutrition, and thyroid autoimmunity in pediatric populations remain limited. Materials and methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included 77 children and adolescents: 24 with mild subclinical hypothyroidism (MSH), 28 with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), and 25 healthy controls. Clinical, biochemical, and thyroid ultrasonographic data were collected. Serum selenium concentrations and spot urinary iodine levels were assessed according to World Health Organization criteria; however, urinary iodine concentration was measured only in patient groups (MSH and AT) and not in healthy controls. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate whether serum selenium was independently associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. Results: The cohort included 77 participants; 50 (64.9%) were female, with a median age of 11.4 years (range 9.7–14.7). BMI SDS was higher in AT vs MSH (p=0.005), while healthy controls had lower BMI SDS than both patient groups (p<0.001). Serum selenium concentrations did not differ among the MSH, AT, and control groups (p>0.05). Selenium levels were not associated with thyroid autoantibody positivity, thyroid ultrasonographic findings, or metabolic parameters (all p>.05). A weak positive correlation was observed between serum selenium and urinary iodine levels (r=0.325, p=.019). In multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, BMI SDS, and urinary iodine levels, serum selenium was not independently associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (p=.83). Conclusions: These findings do not support a clear independent association between selenium status and autoimmune thyroiditis in this cohort, and should be interpreted with caution given the limited sample size. Routine selenium screening or supplementation cannot be recommended based on the present data alone.