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Maternal TPOAb positivity tied to metabolic syndrome in offspring
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Children whose mothers are positive for thyroid peroxidase antibodies are more likely to have metabolic syndrome, greater waist circumference and higher BMI than children whose mothers were antibody negative, study data show.
“Enforcement of a heart-healthy lifestyle is especially important for adolescents of mothers with positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies,” Eila Suvanto, MD, PhD, head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology and clinical genetics at Oulu University Hospital in Finland, told Endocrine Today. “Long-term follow-up will show whether children of mothers with thyroid peroxidase antibody positivity are more prone to cardiovascular disease or diabetes later in life.”
Suvanto and colleagues evaluated data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 on 3,229 mothers and 4,176 of their children to determine the effects of maternal thyroid dysfunction or antibodies during pregnancy on cardiometabolic risk factors in their offspring.
Researchers evaluated maternal serum samples that were collected before 20 weeks’ gestation for thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, thyroid-peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies. Blood sampling and clinical examinations were used to evaluate cardiometabolic risk factors in the offspring at age 16 years, and main outcome measures included waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids and lipoproteins, and insulin resistance.
Insulin sensitivity was better in children of mothers with hyperthyroidism than in children of euthyroid mothers (OR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.06-0.99).
The odds of having metabolic syndrome were higher among children of TPOAb-positive mothers compared with those of TPOAb-negative mothers (OR = 2.57; 95% CI, 1.26-5.25). Waist circumference was the only component of metabolic syndrome associated with maternal TPOAb positivity (OR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.14-2.5). The odds for overweight or obesity were also higher among children of TPOAb-positive mothers compared with those of TPOAb-negative mothers (OR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.04-2.34).
“Maternal TPOAb are a marker of thyroid autoimmunity and predispose people to thyroid dysfunction,” Suvanto said. “Metabolic syndrome, greater waist circumference and higher BMI were more prevalent in children of TPOAb-positive mothers indicating an adverse CV health profile.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Eila Suvanto, MD, PhD, can be reached at eila.suvanto@ppshp.fi.
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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