Thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid hormone reference intervals in apparently healthy Chinese adults.

Background: Thyroid disorders are common, often go unrecognized, and when left untreated, can have serious public health implications. Dietary and ethnic differences are known to influence thyroid function. However, comparatively few studies have examined the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and thyroid function test (TFT) reference intervals in non-Western populations.