Table 1.
Clinical and biochemical characteristic of patients.
| Variable unit | SH | EuT (n = 8) mean ± SD (range) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General (n = 63) mean ± SD (range) | SH-T1 (n = 47) mean ± SD (range) | SH-T0 (n = 16) mean ± SD (range) | p (SH-T1) and SH-T0) | |||
| Clinical phenotypes of patients | Sex (F/M) | 25/38 | 20/27 | 5/11 | – | 5/3 |
| Age at the baseline (years) | 3.0 ± 4.5 (0.1–16.9) | 3.5 ± 4.9 (0.1–16.9) | 1.4 ± 2.6 (0.1–8.7) | <0.05 (t = 2.17) | 6.1 ± 5.9 (0.4–14.8) | |
| Age at the end of FU (years) | 6.3 ± 4.8 (0.1–17.9) | 7.1 ± 5.0 (0.1–17.9) | 4.2 ± 3.3 (0.8–12.2) | <0.05 (t = 2.63) | 9.5 ± 5.5 (3.6–7.2) | |
| Length of FU (months) | 44.9 ± 29.1 (2.4–106.2) | 48.5 ± 31.1 (2.4–106.2) | 34.8 ± 20.2 (9.0–66.3) | <0.05 (t = 2.02) | 45.8 ± 20.7 (12.3–70.7) | |
| hSDS at the baseline | −0.1 ± 1.3 (−5.8 to 2.7) | 0.0 ± 1.1 (−3.0 to 2.7) | −0.3 ± 1.8 (−5.8 to 1.5) | 0.28 (t = 1.09) | −0.5 ± 0.9 (−1.5 to 1.4) | |
| hSDS at the end of FU | −0.1 ± 1.1 (−3.8 to 2.7) | 0.0 ± 1.2 (−3.8 to 2.7) | −0.2 ± 0.9 (1.9–1.3) | 0.67 (t = 04.15) | −0.2 ± 0.9 (−1.1 to 1.4) | |
| BMI <3rd pc/>85th pc | 5/7 | 5/6 | 0/1 | – | 2/3 | |
| BMI Z-score at the baseline | 0.2 ± 1.4 (−3.7 to 2.4) | 0.3 ± 1.4 (−3.7 to 2.4) | −0.1 ± 1.5 (−3.6 to 2.9) | 0.42 (t = 0.841) | −0.1 ± 2.6 (−4.1 to2.8) | |
| BMI Z-score at the end | 0.5 ± 1.3 (−5.8 to 2.4) | 0.6 ± 1.4 (−5.8 to 2.4) | 0.2 ± 1.0 (−0.9 to 2.1) | 0.41 (t = 0.816) | −0.2 ± 2.1 (−4.2 to 2.3) | |
| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis during FU | 7/63 (11.1%) | 6/47 (12.8%) | 1/16 (6.3%) | – | 0/8 (0%) | |
| Biochemical phenotype | Dosage of L-T4 (µg/kg/day) | 1.8 ± 1.0 (0.3–6.6) | 1.8 ± 1.0 (0.3–6.6) | 0 | – | 0 |
| TSH (mIU/ml) at the baseline | 6.7 ± 4.6 (1.3–23.6) | 6.8 ± 5.2 (1.3–23.6) | 6.4 ± 2.3 (4.1–10.4) | 0.67 (t = 0.425) | 2.2 ± 0.6 (1.4–3.1) | |
| TSH (mIU/ml) at the end of FU | 4.5 ± 2.2 (0.5–12.5) | 4.6 ± 2.5 (0.5–12.5) | 4.3 ± 1.3 (2.3–7.7) | 0.45 (t = 0.745) | 2.7 ± 0.7 (1.4–3.5) | |
| fT4 (ng/dl) at the baseline | 1.4 ± 0.3 (0.8–2.1) | 1.4 ± 0.3 (0.8–2.1) | 1.5 ± 0.3 (0.8–2.1) | 0.79 (t = 0.221) | 1.3 ± 0.2 (1.1–1.6) | |
| fT4 (ng/dl) at the end of FU | 1.3 ± 0.3 (0.8–2.0) | 1.3 ± 0.3 (0.8–2.0) | 1.3 ± 0.2 (1.0–1.7) | 0.69 (t = 0.39) | 1.3 ± 0.2 (1.1–1.7) | |
| Diagnosis at the end of FU | SH—55*5/63 | SH—44*4/47 | SH—11*1/16 | – | SH—1/8 | |
| EuT—5/63 | EuT—0/47 | EuT—5/16 | EuT—7/8 | |||
| OH—3*2/63 | OH—3*2/47 | OH—0/16 | OH—0/8 | |||
t, test statistic (Student’s t-test); SH, subclinical hypothyroidism; OH, overt hypothyroidism; EuT, euthyroid; SD, standard deviation; SH-T1, patients from group SH with levothyroxine treatment; SH-T0, patients from group SH without treatment; EuT, euthyroid patients; F, female; M, male; FU, follow-up; hSDS, height standard deviation score; BMI, body mass index; Pc, percentile; CHD, congenital heart disease; L-T4, levothyroxine; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone; fT4, free thyroxine; Abs, antithyroid autoantibodies.
*Children with (+) Abs.