Eliminating Iodine Deficiency in China: Achievements, Challenges and Global Implications.

The prevention of iodine deficiency through salt iodization has been recognized as a global success story, and China stands at the forefront of this achievement with one of the most successful programs in the world. High level political commitment, national mandatory legislation, a state-managed edible salt industry and a complex and highly sophisticated surveillance system have facilitated the success of the program. Challenges have arisen however, including: (i) concern that adequate iodine status in pregnant women cannot be achieved without causing above adequate iodine intakes in children; (ii) declining iodine intake as a result of reductions in salt consumption and increased consumption of processed foods, which may not be made with iodized salt; (iii) the existence of areas with high iodine content in the water; and (iv) declines in household use of iodized salt due to concerns about excess iodine intake and thyroid disease.

Expression of organic anion transporting polypeptide 1c1 and monocarboxylate transporter 8 in the rat placental barrier and the compensatory response to thyroid dysfunction.

Thyroid hormones (THs) must pass from mother to fetus for normal fetal development and require the expression of placental TH transporters. We investigate the compensatory effect of placental organic anion transporting polypeptide 1c1 (Oatp1c1) and monocarboxylate transporter 8 (Mct8) on maternal thyroid dysfunction. We describe the expressions of these two transporters in placental barriers and trophoblastic cell populations in euthyroidism and thyroid dysfunction resulting from differential iodine nutrition at gestation day (GD) 16 and 20, that is, before and after the onset of fetal thyroid function.

Exploration of the safe upper level of iodine intake in euthyroid Chinese adults: a randomized double-blind trial.

Background: The beneficial health effects associated with Universal Salt Iodization are well known. Yet, little is known about the possible adverse health effects in people with high iodine intake and the safe daily intake upper limit in the Chinese population.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the safe upper level of total daily iodine intake among adults in China.

Developmental thyroid hormone disruption: prevalence, environmental contaminants and neurodevelopmental consequences.

Thyroid hormones (TH) are critical for growth and development and particularly brain development. There are numerous environmental agents that lead to marginal reductions of circulating TH. Although it is clear that severe developmental hypothyroidism is profoundly detrimental to neurodevelopment, there is less information regarding the consequences of modest degrees of thyroid.

Trimester- and method-specific reference intervals for thyroid tests in pregnant Chinese women: methodology, euthyroid definition and iodine status can influence the setting of reference intervals.

Objective: The importance of diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy has been widely recognized. We therefore established trimester- and method-specific reference intervals for thyroid testing in pregnant women according to the NACB recommended criteria. Several factors can affect the setting of reference intervals, in particular manufacturer's methodology, euthyroid definition and iodine status.

Cretinism revisited.

Endemic cretinism includes two syndromes: a more common neurological disorder with brain damage, deaf mutism, squint and spastic paresis of the legs and a less common syndrome of severe hypothyroidism, growth retardation and less severe mental defect. Both conditions are due to dietary iodine deficiency and can be prevented by correction of iodine deficiency before pregnancy. Endemic cretinism is now included in the spectrum of the effects of iodine deficiency in a population termed the 'iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs)', which also includes a wide range of lesser degrees of cognitive defect that can be prevented by the correction of iodine deficiency.

Characteristics of an scFv antibody fragment that binds to immunoglobulin G of Graves' disease patients and inhibits autoantibody-mediated thyroid-stimulating activity.

Thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAbs) are responsible for hyperthyroid Graves' disease (GD). Although two peptides that bind to GD immunoglobulin G (IgG), and some monoclonal antibodies to the TSH receptor (TSH-R), have been reported to inhibit stimulation of cAMP production by patient serum TSAb, our work is the first to use phage-display technology to produce a mouse single-chain Fv antibody fragment (scFv) that binds to GD IgG and acts as a powerful TSAb (and TSH) antagonist. The specificity characteristics and relative affinity (2.

[The effects of iodine/selenium on the function of antigen presentation of peritoneal macrophages in rats].

Objective: To observe the effects of iodine/selenium on the function of antigen presentation of peritoneal macrophages in rats and explore the immunological mechanisms of iodine/ selenium's role in pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD).

Methods: Female Lewis rats were randomly divided into four groups including (1) low selenium and normal iodine group (L(sE)N(I)) (2) low selenium and high iodine group (L(Se)H(I)) (3) normal selenium and normal iodine group (N(Se)N(I) ) (4) normal selenium and high iodine group (N(Se)H(I)). All rats were fed by a special diet with lower selenium and iodine in it and drunk ion-free water containing different levels of iodine and selenium for 3 months.

[Overdose of iodine on expression of CCK gene in rat brains].

Objective: To observe the effect of overdose iodine on the expression of CCK gene in brains of rats and identify the possible mechanisms.

Methods: One-month weaning Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups which were fed with normal feedstuff and water supplemented with different concentrations of potassium iodide, named A group (iodine ration was about 6.15 microg per day), B group (iodine ration was about 30.

[Study on content of iodine in food in Tianjin market and iodine nutrition conditions among college students].

Objective: To know about content of iodine in foods sold in Tianjing markets presently, and the iodine nutrition conditions in college students. It was also aimed to probe the functions of the iodized salt complement with the dietary iodine intake, and whether the urine iodine could reflect dietary iodine intake.

Methods: 278 food samples in markets were collected by a randomly stratified sampling method, while the arsenic-cerium catalytic contact method was used to determine the content in food.

Type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase activity and mRNA expression in rat thyroid tissue with different iodine intakes.

Background: Type 1 deiodinase (D1) plays an important role in the metabolism of thyroid hormone and has close relationship with thyroid function. In this study we explore the effects of iodine intake on D1 activity and its mRNA expression and its possible mechanism.

Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups with 8 in each: low iodine (LI), normal iodine (NI), five-fold iodine (HI(5)), ten-fold iodine (HI(10)), fifty-fold iodine (HI(50)), one hundred-fold iodine (HI(100)) group.

Assessment of iodine status using dried blood spot thyroglobulin: development of reference material and establishment of an international reference range in iodine-sufficient children.

Context: Thyroglobulin (Tg) may be a valuable indicator of improving thyroid function in children after salt iodization. A recently developed Tg assay for use on dried whole blood spots (DBS) makes sampling practical, even in remote areas.

Objective: The study aim was to develop a reference standard for DBS-Tg, establish an international reference range for DBS-Tg in iodine-sufficient children, and test the standardized DBS-Tg assay in an intervention trial.

[Experimental study on effects of iodine deficiency and excess on thyroid autoimmunity].

Objective: To observe the effects of iodine on the level of CD4/CD8 cells and the production of thyroglobulin autoantibody (TGAb) and thyroid peroxidase autoantibody (TPOAb) in Wistar rats and to investigate the role of iodine in thyroid autoimmunity.

Methods: Rat models with different iodine intakes including low iodine (LI,), normal iodine (NI,), 5 times normal iodine (5HI), 10 times normal iodine (10HI), 50 times normal iodine (50HI) and 100 times normal iodine (100HI) were established. The amount of iodine intake per rat per day in every group was about < 1, 6.

[Meta-analysis on the relationship between children's intelligence and factors as iodine deficiency, supplement iodine and excessive iodine].

Objective: To estimate the role and extent of iodine deficiency, iodine supplement and iodine excess on mental development of children.

Methods: Meta-analysis was applied to study 128 independent items from 63 published and non-published papers and reports. The standards of references collected included: age of sample declared by references was 5 - 15; belong to comparison study; children lived in iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) and iodine excess areas; no difference of social economic and culture development level between the study group and the control group.