P. Langer et al., INCREASED THYROID VOLUME AND PREVALENCE OF THYROID-DISORDERS IN AN AREA HEAVILY POLLUTED BY POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS, European journal of endocrinology, 139(4), 1998, pp. 402-409
Objective: To evaluate whether long-term exposure to heavy environment
al pollution with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) could result in imp
airment of thyroid status as evaluated by an epidemiological field sur
vey. Methods: Thyroid volume (ThV) was measured by ultrasound in 238 e
mployees of a factory (EMP) which previously produced PCBs and 454 ado
lescents from the surrounding area polluted by PCBs. Controls (C) were
572 adults and 965 adolescents from much less polluted areas. In the
238 EMP and various numbers (shown in parentheses) of adult C the leve
rs of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (n=498), thyroxine (n=498), th
yroglobulin (n=278) and thyroid antibodies (anti-peroxidase (TPO Ab),
n=517: anti-thyroglobulin (Tg Ab), n=455: anti-TSH receptor (TSHR Ab),
n=238) were estimated in serum, while only TSH and TPO Ab were measur
ed in 269 and 171 adolescents from polluted and control areas respecti
vely. In several subjects in whom thyroid disease was suspected, total
tri-iodothyronine or free thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine were measur
ed. In a total of 362 adults and adolescents the urinary iodine was es
timated. Results: Using the Mann-Whitney test, ThV in EMP (mean +/- S.
E. = 18.85 +/- 0.69 ml, median = 17.3 ml, upper quartile=22.9ml, n=238
) was significantly higher (P<0.001) than that in C (13.47 +/- 0.48 mi
, 11.5ml, 15.3 mi, n=486 respectively). Similarly, ThV in adolescents
from the polluted area (9.37 +/- 0.17ml, 8.9 mi, 11.0 mi, rr = 454 res
pectively) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that in C (8.07 /- 0.10 mi, 7.6 mi, 9.6 mi, n = 965 respectively). In adults, a signif
icantly increased prevalence of TPOAb (P<0.05) was found (using the ch
i-square test) in EMP women of all. ages (54/190) vs C women (70/282),
in EMP women aged 31-50 years (40/117 vs 70/282 respectively) and tho
se aged 41-50 years (28/77 vs 54/215 respectively). Compared with C, t
here was also a higher prevalence of Tg Ab in EMP women aged 31-60 yea
rs (36/169 vs 50/342 respectively) and of TSHR Ab IP < 0.001) in the g
roup of EMP men and women (25/238) vs sex- and age-matched C (6/238),
No difference between EMP and C was found in the level of thyroxine (m
ean+/-S.D,= 116.1 +/- 31.2 nmol/l, n = 238 vs 112.2 +/- 37.0 nmol/l, n
= 460 respectively), TSH in the range 0.1-4.5 mU/l (1.56 +/- 0.86 mU/
l, n = 219 vs 1.51 +/- 0.84 mU/l. n = 460 respectively), prevalence of
TSH: >4.5 (14/238 vs 28/498 respectively) and <0.1mU/l (25/238 vs 10/
498 respectively). The prevalence of individuals without any defined c
linical or laboratory signs of thyroid disorders among EMP who had cor
ked in the factory for 21-35 years (43/128, 33.6%) was significantly l
ower than that in twice as many matched C (118/256, 46.1%, P < 0.025)
or in EMP who had worked for only 11-20 years (36/73, 49.3%, P < 0.05)
. In adolescents, no difference was found in the prevalence of TPO Ab
or TSH >4.5 mU/I between the polluted (17/269, 6.3% and 2/243, 0.8% re
spectively) and C areas (15/171, 8.5% and 4/140, 2.8% respectively). T
he median values of urinary iodine were in the optimal range (mu g per
dI/number of cases) and about the same in polluted (12.6/90 and 11.4/
55) and C areas (14.1/80, 13.2/82 and 13.4/55). Conclusions: Since iod
ine intake in Slovakia is considered sufficient as a result of 45 year
s of well-monitored iodine prophylaxis, the increased ThV and prevalen
ce of thyroid disorders in the polluted areas presumably results from
long-term exposure to toxic substances rather than from a difference i
n life-long iodine intake. The increased prevalence of some thyroid an
tibodies may be related to the known immunomodulatory effects of PCBs.