Cent Eur J Public Health 1998, 6(2):172-174
The implication of nitrites and organochlorine pesticides in goitre etiopathology
- 1 Institute of Public Health, Bucharest, Romania
- 2 Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
- 3 Inspectorate of Public Health, Bucharest, Romania
In recent years the reassessment of goitre prevalence in Romania (thyroid palpation and urinary iodine levels) revealed two aspects: excessive goitre distribution in mountainous regions and hilly areas with geochemical iodine deficiency but also in plains and high goitre prevalence even if the concentration of urinary iodine is normal. These facts made us seek a possible interaction of some pollutants (nitrites, organochlorine pesticides) and iodine metabolism. We examined a group of 408 subjects: 100 children aged 6-16 years and 308 women 18-35 years of age; all living in Bucharest city. The examination revealed 94 goitre cases (23.0 %); only 10.0 % of whole group had urinary iodine less than 5.5 µg/dl. In 108 cases (26.46 %) the value of urinary nitrites was between 0.04-5.85 mg/l, from these subjects 62 had goitre and urinary nitrites and 46 subjects (11.2 %) had urinary nitrites without goitre. Urinary level of organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in goitre cases was in all sample between 7.6-35.2 µg/l. The presence of the nitrites especially in large concentrations and OCP, together with known factors, probably influences the process of goitre genesis.
Published: June 1, 1998 Show citation