Comparison of thyroid function in pregnant and non-pregnant Asian and western Caucasian women

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta Vol. 308; no. 1; pp. 91 - 98
• Main Authors: Price, Alun, Obel, Owen, Cresswell, Janet, Catch, Ian, Rutter, Sue, Barik, Sukumar, Heller, Simon R., Weetman, Anthony P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 01.06.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alkaline Phosphatase - blood; Asian; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - enzymology; Caucasian; Chorionic Gonadotropin - analysis; Confidence Intervals; Ethnic differences; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Ferritins - blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormones. Regulation; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy - physiology; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Reference Values; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroid Gland - physiology; Thyroid Hormones - blood; Thyroid Hormones - genetics; Thyroid. Parathyroid. Ultimobranchial body; Thyrotropin - blood; Thyroxine - blood; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Asia; Pregnancy; FT3, free tri-iodothyronine; ShCG, hCG measured using serono assay; hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin; FT4, free thyroxine; Thyroid function tests; Caucasian; AhCG, hCG measured on ACS:180; TSH, thyrotropin; Ethnic differences; BALP, bone specific alkaline phosphatase; Asian; Human; Alkaline phosphatase; Crosscultural study; Enzyme; Beta-Peptide chain; Ferritin; Phosphoric monoester hydrolases; Esterases; Gonadotropin; Glycoprotein hormone; Placental hormone; Ethnic group; Human chorionic gonadotrophin; Thyroid function; Race; Hydrolases; Female; Thyroid hormone; Caucasoid; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0009-8981; 1873-3492
• DOI: 10.1016/S0009-8981(01)00470-3

Background: Gestational thyrotoxicosis may be more prevalent in Asian women. Methods: We have measured thyroid function, ferritin and bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) as peripheral markers of thyroid function and hCG in Asian and western Caucasian women in non-pregnant and early pregnancy. Results: TSH was lower in Asian women in non-pregnancy but not during normal pregnancy and this may reflect increased sensitivity of the thyroid gland to thyroid stimulation in the Asian population. No ethnic difference was found in FT3, FT4 or hCG but ferritin was lower and BALP higher in Asian women whether pregnant or not and this may be a reflection of iron balance and vitamin D status. Conclusions: We found during normal pregnancy that dynamic patterns of change for thyroid hormones and hCG are not different in Asian and western Caucasian women. We have developed gestation related reference intervals, which are a pre-requisite to the study of ethnic differences in gestation thyrotoxicosis in pregnancy.