[Effect of iodine deficiency on the growth and formation of the bone tissue]

The authors studied several groups of children in terms of the height in endemic goiter regions and in the regions with no goiter incidence. Subject to study were also processes of osteogenesis and phosphocalcium metabolism in animals with iodine deficiency in the diet. It was established that in goiter endemic regions, the number of children under medium and of low height was increased while that of medium and over medium height, and the number of tall children were reduced. It was also found that iodine deficiency in the diet of animals entailed abnormalities in the growth patterns, destructive alterations in the bones and bone marrow, a decrease in the content of hydroxyproline, hexosamines, and in the activity of phosphomonoesterase-I in animal bones, as well as disorders of phosphocalcium metabolism.