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Horm Metab Res 2010; 42(11): 809-814
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1263121
Humans, Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Reference Levels for Serum Thyroid Function Tests of Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance

H. Völzke1 , C. O. Schmidt1 , U. John2 , H. Wallaschofski3 , M. Dörr4 , M. Nauck3
  • 1Institute for Community Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
  • 2Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
  • 3Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine B, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

received 28.12.2009

accepted 20.07.2010

Publication Date:
31 August 2010 (online)

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Abstract

A controversy exists on the value of upper thyrotropin (TSH) reference level. Currently available studies are based on cross-sectional data leaving uncertainty about the prognostic significance of the upper TSH reference level. With the present study we sought to establish reference values for serum thyroid function tests that are of both diagnostic and prognostic significance. We used data from the prospective population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) with a 5 year follow-up (6 080 person-years). We included data from 1 203 subjects (525 women) without prevalent subclinical or manifest thyroid disorders. An event-free reference population was separated comprising 1 053 subjects (473 women). When comparing reference values as analyzed from either the whole reference population or the event-free reference population, we observed notable differences in TSH reference intervals. While the lower TSH reference values were similar in both populations, the upper value was 1.95 mIU/l and thus by 7.6% lower in subjects without incident events compared to the whole reference population. Both populations did not substantially differ with respect to serum FT3 and FT4 reference intervals. The upper TSH reference value is lower than recommended when both diagnostic and prognostic significance are considered in the definition of the TSH reference range.

Key words

thyroid function - reference intervals - cohort study - Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)

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Correspondence

H. VölzkeMD 

Institute for Community

Medicine

Ernst Moritz Arndt University

Walther Rathenau Straße 48

17487 Greifswald

Germany

Phone: +49/3834/867 707

Fax: +49/3834/866 684

Email: voelzke@uni-greifswald.de

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