Serum Vitamin A and Urinary Iodine Levels in Secondary School Pupils with Endemic Goitre in Mosul, Iraq

Abstract

To study the effect of age and sex on serum vitamin A and urinary iodine excretion in secondary school pupils in Mosul city. Bloods and urine samples were collected from different schools of this area. Serum vitamin A,TSH, Albumine, creatinine and urinary iodine excretion have been measured. A highly significant correlation was observed in goitrous pupils between serum vitamin A and urinary iodine excretion ,and between serum vitamin A and serum albumin .Serum vitamin A levels in non-goitrous pupils were higher in females than in males. Urinary iodine excretion was higher in males than in females. Among goitrous pupils urinary iodine excretion was higher in males than in females in the age group of (17-20) years. While for serum vitamin A the opposite than that in control group) was observed between males and females for both age groups and this may account for the high incidence of goitre among females that in males especially in the age group of( 17-20) years