Endocrinology and Metabolism

Review Article

Thyroid
Thyroid Function across the Lifespan: Do Age-Related Changes Matter?: John P. Walsh; Endocrinol Metab. 2022;37(2):208-219. Published online April 14, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2022.1463

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Circulating concentrations of thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) are tightly regulated. Each individual has setpoints for TSH and free T4 which are genetically determined, and subject to environmental and epigenetic influence. Pituitary-thyroid axis setpoints are probably established in utero, with maturation of thyroid function continuing until late gestation. From neonatal life (characterized by a surge of TSH and T4 secretion) through childhood and adolescence (when free triiodothyronine levels are higher than in adults), thyroid function tests display complex, dynamic patterns which are sexually dimorphic. In later life, TSH increases with age in healthy older adults without an accompanying fall in free T4, indicating alteration in TSH setpoint. In view of this, and evidence that mild subclinical hypothyroidism in older people has no health impact, a strong case can be made for implementation of age-related TSH reference ranges in adults, as is routine in children.

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Original Articles

Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Reference Values for Skeletal Muscle Mass at the Third Lumbar Vertebral Level Measured by Computed Tomography in a Healthy Korean Population: Ja Kyung Yoon, Sunyoung Lee, Kyoung Won Kim, Ji Eun Lee, Jeong Ah Hwang, Taeyong Park, Jeongjin Lee; Endocrinol Metab. 2021;36(3):672-677. Published online June 8, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2021.1041

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Background
Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass and is associated with negative clinical outcomes. This study aimed to establish sex-specific cutoff values for the skeletal muscle area (SMA) and skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the third lumbar vertebral (L3) level using computed tomography (CT) imaging to identify sarcopenia in healthy Korean liver donors.
Methods
This retrospective study included 659 healthy liver donors (408 men and 251 women) aged 20 to 60 years who had undergone abdominal CT examinations between January 2017 and December 2018. Assessment of body composition was performed with an automated segmentation technique using a deep-learning system. Sex-specific SMA and SMI distributions were assessed, and cutoff values for determining sarcopenia were defined as values at either two standard deviations (SDs) below the mean reference value or below the fifth percentile.
Results
Using the SD definition, cutoff values for SMA and SMI were 117.04 cm² and 39.33 cm²/m², respectively, in men and 71.39 cm² and 27.77 cm²/m², respectively, in women. Using the fifth percentile definition, cutoff values for SMA and SMI were 126.88 cm² and 40.96 cm²/m², respectively, in men and 78.85 cm² and 30.60 cm²/m², respectively, in women.
Conclusion
Our data provide sex-specific cutoff values for the SMA and SMI at the L3 level measured by CT imaging in a healthy Korean population, which may be applicable for identifying sarcopenia in this population.

Citations

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Clinical Study
Gender-Dependent Reference Range of Serum Calcitonin Levels in Healthy Korean Adults: Eyun Song, Min Ji Jeon, Hye Jin Yoo, Sung Jin Bae, Tae Yong Kim, Won Bae Kim, Young Kee Shong, Hong-Kyu Kim, Won Gu Kim; Endocrinol Metab. 2021;36(2):365-373. Published online April 7, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.939

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Background
Serum calcitonin measurement contains various clinical and methodological aspects. Its reference level is wide and unclear despite sensitive calcitonin kits are available. This study aimed to identify the specific reference range in the healthy Korean adults.
Methods
Subjects were ≥20 years with available calcitonin (measured by a two-site immunoradiometric assay) data by a routine health checkup. Three groups were defined as all eligible subjects (group 1, n=10,566); subjects without self or family history of thyroid disease (group 2, n=5,152); and subjects without chronic kidney disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, medication of proton pump inhibitor/H2 blocker/steroid, or other malignancies (group 3, n=4,638).
Results
This study included 6,341 male and 4,225 female subjects. Males had higher mean calcitonin than females (2.3 pg/mL vs. 1.9 pg/mL, P<0.001) in group 1. This gender difference remained similar in groups 2 and 3. Calcitonin according to age or body mass index was not significant in both genders. Higher calcitonin in smoking than nonsmoking men was observed but not in women. Sixty-nine subjects had calcitonin higher than the upper reference limit (10 pg/mL) and 64 of them had factors associated with hypercalcitoninemia besides medullary thyroid cancer. Our study suggests the reference intervals for men who were non, ex-, current smokers, and women (irrespective of smoking status) as <5.7, <7.1, <7.9, and <3.6 pg/mL, respectively.
Conclusion
Specific calcitonin reference range should be provided considering for sex and smoking status. Taking account for several factors known to induce hypercalcitoninemia can help interpret the gray zone of moderately elevated calcitonin.

Citations

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Luca Giovanella, Federica D’Aurizio, Petra Petranović Ovčariček
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Determinants of circulating calcitonin value: analysis of thyroid features, demographic data, anthropometric characteristics, comorbidities, medications, and smoking habits in a population with histological full exclusion of medullary thyroid carcinoma
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Impact of dietary, lifestyle and sociodemographic factors on calcitonin levels in a healthy population
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Presence or severity of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis does not influence basal calcitonin levels: observations from CROHT biobank
M. Cvek, A. Punda, M. Brekalo, M. Plosnić, A. Barić, D. Kaličanin, L. Brčić, M. Vuletić, I. Gunjača, V. Torlak Lovrić, V. Škrabić, V. Boraska Perica
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Brief Reports

Hypothalamus and Pituitary gland
Reference Ranges of Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3: Results from a Multicenter Study in Healthy Korean Adults: In-Kyung Jeong, Jong Kyu Byun, Junghyun Noh, Sang Wan Kim, Yoon-Sok Chung, Tae Sun Park, Sung-Woon Kim; Endocrinol Metab. 2020;35(4):954-959. Published online December 1, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.785

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Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone (GH) excess or deficiency. The GH study group of the Korean Endocrine Society aims to establish the Korean reference ranges of serum IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and assess the relationship between IGF-I and IGFBP-3 and clinical parameters. Fasting serum was collected from healthy Korean adults at health promotion centers of five hospitals nationwide. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured via an immunoradiometric assay using a DSL kit (Diagnostic Systems Laboratories). Serum samples from 354 subjects (180 male, 174 female) were analyzed based on sex at 10-year intervals from 21 to 70 years. IGF-I levels were inversely correlated with age. After adjustment of age, the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio was significantly negatively associated with blood pressure and free thyroxine and positively associated with weight, hemoglobin, creatinine, alanine transferase, fasting glucose, and thyroid stimulating hormone. Therefore, age- and sex-specific reference ranges of serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 can be efficient in evaluating GH excess or deficiency in Korean population.

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Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis.2023; 227: 115274. CrossRef

Hypothalamus and Pituitary gland
Establishment of Reference Intervals for Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in Korean Adult Population: Boyeon Kim, Yonggeun Cho, Cheol Ryong Ku, Sang-Guk Lee, Kyung-A Lee, Jeong-Ho Kim; Endocrinol Metab. 2020;35(4):960-964. Published online November 20, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.732

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Appropriate reference intervals of serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is important for diagnosing and monitoring patients with growth hormone-related diseases. To establish reference intervals, adult individuals (n=1,334, 680 men and 654 women) were divided into six age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, ≥70). Serum IGF-I was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay (Liaison). Concordance of patient classification based on reference intervals, manufacturer’s intervals, and standard deviation score (SDS) was evaluated. New reference intervals had higher upper and lower limits than those specified by the manufacturer. The agreement between classification using new reference interval and the manufacturer’s reference interval, and that using new reference interval and SDS was 75.0% (weighted kappa, 0.17), 91.9% (weighted kappa, 0.51) in men and 91.0% (weighted kappa, 0.41), 92.5% (weighted kappa, 0.53) in women, respectively. Reference intervals should be established not only based on age and sex, but also on ethnicity and assay method.

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