Search Results
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Louise Knøsgaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Geriatrics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Stig Andersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Annebirthe Bo Hansen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Steno Diabetes Center North Jutland, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Peter Vestergaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Stine Linding Andersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
The assessment of maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy is debated. It is well-established that pregnancy-specific reference ranges preferably should be used. We speculated if the use of repeated blood samples drawn in early pregnancy would influence the classification of maternal thyroid function.
Methods
Pregnant women with repeated early pregnancy blood samples were identified in the North Denmark Region Pregnancy Cohort. Each sample was used for the measurement of TSH, free T4 (fT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) (ADVIA Centaur XPT, Siemens Healthineers). Method- and pregnancy week-specific reference ranges were used for the classification of maternal thyroid function.
Results
Among 1466 pregnancies included, 89 women had TSH above the upper reference limit in the first sample (median pregnancy week 8) and 44 (49.4%) of these similarly had high TSH in the second sample (median week 10). A total of 47 women had TSH below the lower reference limit in the first sample and 19 (40.4%) of these similarly had low TSH in the second sample. Regarding women classified with isolated changes in fT4 in the first sample, less than 20% were similarly classified as such in the second sample. The percentage agreement between the samples was dependent on the level of TSH in the first sample and the presence of TPO- and Tg-Ab.
Conclusion
In a large cohort of pregnant women, the classification of maternal thyroid function varied considerably with the use of repeated blood samples. Results emphasize a focus on the severity of thyroid function abnormalities in pregnant women.
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Stine Linding Andersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Niels Henrik Bruun in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Peter Astrup Christensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Simon Lykkeboe in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Aase Handberg in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Annebirthe Bo Hansen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Maja Hjelm Lundgaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Louise Knøsgaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Nanna Maria Uldall Torp in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Allan Carlé in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Jesper Karmisholt in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Inge Bülow Pedersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Steno Diabetes Center North Jutland, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Peter Vestergaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Geriatrics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Search for other papers by Stig Andersen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Objective
Thyroid disease in women of reproductive age is mainly of autoimmune origin, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) as well as thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) are key markers. Adding to this, much focus in pregnancy is on euthyroid women who are thyroid antibody positive. Evidence to substantiate the cut-offs for the definition of thyroid autoantibody positivity in early pregnant women is warranted.
Methods
Stored serum samples from 14,030 Danish pregnant women were used for the measurement of TPO-Ab, Tg-Ab, TSH, and free thyroxine (ADVIA Centaur XPT, Siemens Healthineers). Among all women, a reference cohort of 10,905 individuals was identified for the establishment of antibody cut-offs. Percentile cut-offs for TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab were determined using regression on order statistics (the reference cohort). The established cut-offs were then applied (the full cohort), and frequencies of early pregnancy as well as later diagnosis of hypothyroidism were evaluated.
Results
The highest established cut-offs (95th, 97.5th, and 99th percentiles) were 59, 68, and 81 U/mL for TPO-Ab and 33, 41, and 52 U/mL for Tg-Ab. When the cut-offs were applied in the full cohort, 11.0, 10.2, and 9.7% were TPO-Ab positive, whereas 13.3, 12.3, and 11.2% were Tg-Ab positive. Antibody-positive women (TPO-Ab and/or Tg-Ab) had higher median TSH and were more likely to have hypothyroidism in early pregnancy and to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism during follow-up.
Conclusions
This large study established and evaluated pregnancy-specific cut-offs for TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab. The findings are important regarding the classification of exposure in pregnancy and assessment of thyroid autoimmunity per se.
