Thyroid dysfunction in obese pre-pubertal children: oxidative stress as a potential pathogenetic mechanism

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Metabolic Disorders
• Thyroid Research

Background:

• Obesity in children is linked to potential thyroid dysfunction, but the exact causes remain unclear.
• Hyperthyrotropinemia, elevated TSH levels, has been hypothesized in obese children.
• Understanding the pathogenesis is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate thyroid function in obese pre-pubertal children compared to normal-weight peers.
• To explore the association between hyperthyrotropinemia and oxidative stress markers.
• To identify factors related to elevated TSH in obese children.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 80 obese and 41 normal-weight pre-pubertal children.
• Assessed thyrotropin (TSH), free T4 (fT4), free T3 (fT3), and anti-thyroid antibodies.
• Measured insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), oxidative stress markers (esRAGE, sRAGE, PGF-2α).

Main Results:

• Obese children exhibited significantly higher TSH levels than controls.
• TSH correlated with BMI-SDS, HOMA-IR, PGF-2α, esRAGE, and sRAGE.
• Insulin resistance and oxidative stress markers were independently associated with TSH in obese children.

Conclusions:

• Hyperthyrotropinemia can be present in pre-pubertal obese children.
• Increased oxidative stress appears to be a key factor regulating TSH levels early in life.
• These findings highlight the role of metabolic and oxidative factors in pediatric obesity-related thyroid changes.