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Thyroid Physiology  

Thyroid Iodine

• Abraham

Abraham

The historical background of the iodine project.

Abraham GE

The Original Internist, 12(2):57-66, 2005

"Okerlund reported that thyroid hormone therapy and irradiation of the thyroid gland cause a depletion of iodine from the thyroid gland. Ingestion of thyroid hormones for 3 months or more resulted in very low levels of thyroidal stable iodine reaching the detection limit of the equipment. "The finding that previously irradiated thyroid glands are sometimes iodide depleted, coupled with the observation that the iodide depleted gland in experimental animals is physiologically more sensitive to the effects of pituitary thyrotropin (TSH), may lead to changes in the understanding of radiation-induced thyroid disease and to changes in the clinical management of at least some of these patients, who are known to be at high risk for thyroid tumor development." Okerlund is suggesting that patients on thyroid hormones and receiving radioiodide or radiation therapy should be supplemented with iodine as a preventative measure against the carcinogenic effect of these interventions in iodine depleted thyroid glands.

"For the U.S. population, Okerlund reported a mean value of around 10 mg iodine/thyroid, with a range of 4 mg to 19 mg. In 56 patients suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis but with normal thyroid function, a mean value of 4.8 mg/thyroid was reported. In 13 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism, the mean value as 2.3 mg/thyroid. In 12 patients treated with amiodarone, a toxic form of sustained release iodine, Jonckheer reported a mean ± SD of 30.5 ± 9.2 mg/thyroid. In 5 patients who experienced thyroid dysfunction during amiodarone therapy, (3 hypo- and 2 hyperthyroidism), the iodine content of the thyroid gland was very low, being 4 to 10 time lower. The author previously calculated that the theoretical maximum of thyroidal iodine in the adult is 50 mg. In the 12 patients on amiodarone therapy, the mean ± SD were 30.5 ± 9.2 mg, giving a 95% confidence limit ranging from 12 to 48.9 mg/thyroid. The upper limit of measured iodine in the thyroid gland of these patients, 48.9 mg is very close to the theoretical maximum of 50 mg/thyroid."

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