Resetting the detection level of cord blood thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) for the diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism.

• Abstract: An appraisal of a 17-year primary thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) screening programme for the detection of congenital hypothyroidism was carried out to establish the reference interval of cord blood TSH in unaffected infants; the mean cord blood TSH concentration of affected infants and the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in the Najran province of Saudi Arabia. Our findings show a reference interval of cord blood TSH of 2.0-16.8 mU/l in unaffected infants; a mean cord blood TSH concentration of 399 mU/l in affected infants; a false positive rate for the diagnosis of at-risk infants of 1.02% and a congenital hypothyroidism incidence rate of 34/100 000 (1 : 2931) live births. These findings suggest that there is a need to reset the cord blood TSH concentration for the detection of at-risk infants. We suggest that the detection level of cord blood TSH for the recognition of at-risk infants can be set at 90 mU/l rather than the recommended level of 30 mU/l. This should reduce the false positive rate for detection of infants at risk of congenital hypothyroidism.
• Authors: O O Ogunkeye, A I Roluga, F A Khan (Affiliation: Laboratory Departments, King Khalid Hospital, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. obaogunkeye at hotmail.com)
• Journal: Journal of tropical pediatrics (J Trop Pediatr) Vol. 54 Issue 1 Pg. 74-7 (Feb 2008) ISSN: 0142-6338 [Print] England
• PMID: 17878179 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Thyrotropin

Topics

• Congenital Hypothyroidism (blood, diagnosis, epidemiology)
• False Positive Reactions
• Fetal Blood (chemistry)
• Humans
• Incidence
• Infant, Newborn
• Neonatal Screening (methods)
• ROC Curve
• Reference Values
• Saudi Arabia (epidemiology)
• Thyrotropin (blood, diagnostic use)