Iodine nutrition in Sudan : determination of thyroid-stimulating hormone in filter paper blood samples

Elnagar B, Gebre-Medhin M, Larsson A, Karlsson FA. Iodine nutrition in Sudan: determination of thyroid-stimulating hormone in filter paper blood samples. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1997; 57: 175-182.In this study we examined the technique of measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on filter paper blood samples for use in evaluating the iodine nutrition status of newborns and adults living in iodine-deficient areas. Filter paper blood samples were obtained between the 5th and 7th day after birth from 103,43 and 103 term newborns living in Khartoum (mild iodine deficiency), Kosti (moderate iodine deficiency) and Darfur (severe iodine deficiency), respectively. TSH was measured with a commercial assay and the levels were compared with those obtained with the same method in 1147 samples from term Swedish newborns, obtained on the 3rd to the 5th day of life. The mean (95% confidence interval) TSH levels of the three Sudanese groups and the Swedish group were 7.1 (4.8-9.4), 8.3 (6.6-10.1), 11.9 (0.9-22.9) and ...