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Iodine deficiency during childhood affects physical and mental development. Iodine deficiency or excess both can negatively impact thyroid function. We conducted this study to assess iodine nutrition and thyroid function in children with insufficient urinary iodine concentration. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the selected schools of Udayapur district. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in 1012 school children (6-14 years). Based on UIC data, 83 blood samples were collected to measure serum thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4). UIC was measured by ammonium persulfate digestion method, and Tg, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were measured using ELISA kits. The median UIE was 236 µg/L, and 11.1% of the children had insufficient UIC. The mean fT3, fT4, and TSH in children with insufficient UIC were 2.55±0.43 pg/mL, 0.96±0.28 ng/dL, and 3.60±1.44 mIU/L respectively. Among children with low UIC levels, the median Tg was 17.5 ng/mL. Overt hypothyroidism was seen in 6%, and subclinical hypothyroidism in 3.6%. The children had sufficient iodine nutrition, and the frequency of thyroid dysfunction was low among the children with insufficient UIC.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency can adversely affect women’s health and their offspring. Studies have uncovered many determinants of vitamin D; however, few have explored its relationship with socioeconomic status. Objectives: We aimed to determine the serum 25(OH)D level and its relationship with socioeconomic status. Methods: We recruited 182 women between the ages of 18 years to 65 years from eastern Nepal from a previous study. Sociodemographic variables were obtained from a semi-structured questionnaire and used to construct separate and aggregate indicators of socioeconomic status. The association of these indicators with vitamin D status was examined. We used serum 25(OH)D levels as a measure of vitamin D status and classified them as deficient (< 20 ng/mL), insufficient (20 - 29 ng/mL), and sufficient (30 - 100 ng/mL). Results: Median serum 25(OH)D was 18.6 ng/mL (25th - 75th percentile 14.3 - 23.9). Out of the total participants, 103 (56.5%) had serum 25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml, 61 (33.5%) had 20 - 29 ng/mL, and 18 (9.9%) had ≥ 30 ng/mL. The association between vitamin D status and socioeconomic indicators was assessed using the chi-square test or Fischer’s exact test. Significant associations were found with total household income/month (P = 0.006), and income to poverty ratio (P = 0.005). Conclusions: Women living in low-income houses and poverty have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the eastern part of Nepal and identify the sociodemographic factors associated with it. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 324 participants between the ages 18 and 65 years from the Sunsari and Morang districts of Nepal. A semi-structured questionnaire helped obtain sociodemographic data followed by anthropometric measurements and blood sampling. 25(OH)D level was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) via a fully automated Maglumi 1000 analyzer (SNIBE Co., Ltd., China). Serum 25(OH)D was classified as deficient, insufficient, and sufficient ( p = 0.02 ), duration of sun exposure (chi-square test = 15.1, p = 0.004 ), type of meat intake (Fisher’s exact test is 16.4, p = 0.01 ), frequency of fish intake (Fisher’s exact test is 19.3, p = 0.001 ), and frequency of dairy intake (chi-square test=11.2, p = 0.02 ). In multivariate regression, consumption of dairy products ≥3/week had lower OR (95% CI) (0.3(0.1–0.8) p : 0.02 ) and weekly fish consumption had lower OR (95% CI) (0.06(0.008–0.6) p : 0.01 ) for vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was relatively high in eastern Nepal. This highlights the need to create public awareness regarding the importance of bare skin sun exposure, nutritional sources of vitamin D, and the need to implement food fortification policies by the government.

Objectives Deficiency as well as excess dietary iodine is associated with several thyroid disorders including Grave’s disease and goitre. Previously, cross sectional studies conducted among school children in Nepal showed high prevalence of iodine deficiency. In contrast, recently, few studies have revealed emerging trends of excess urinary iodine concentration in children. This paper, reports excess urinary iodine excretion and thyroid dysfunction among school age children from eastern Nepal. Results It was a community based cross sectional study in which we measured urinary iodine excretion levels among school age children at baseline and after educational program. The educational program consisted of audio-visual and pamphlets on thyroid health. We also screened them for thyroid function status by physical examination and measuring serum thyroid hormones. Our results show that 34.4% of the children had excess urinary iodine concentration above the WHO recommended levels. Overall, 3.2% of the children were identified to have thyroid dysfunction. Urinary iodine concentration was significantly different between types of salt used and between salt iodine content categories.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v15i1.21022 Background: Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. The relation between thyroid hormones and iron status is bidirectional. The aim of this study was to assess iron nutrition status and evaluate its relationship with thyroid hormone profile among children of Eastern Nepal. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in eastern Nepal. A total of 200 school children aged 6-12 years were recruited after taking informed consent from their guardians. Blood samples were collected and assayed for free thyroid hormones (fT3 and fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) concentration and percentage transferrin saturation was calculated. Results: The mean serum iron and TIBC was 74.04 µg/dl and 389.38 µg/dl respectively. The median transferring saturation was 19.21%. The overall prevalence of iron deficiency (Transferrin saturation < 16%) was 34% (n=68). The mean concentration of fT3 and fT4 was 2.87 pg/ml and 1.21 ng/dl respectively, while the median TSH concentration was 3.03 mIU/L. Median TSH concentration in iron deficient group (3.11 µg/dl) and iron sufficient group (2.91 µg/dl) was not significantly different. Among iron deficient children 5.9% had subclinical hypothyroidism (n=4). Iron status indicators were not significantly correlated with thyroid profile parameters in the study population. Conclusions: The prevalence of iron deficiency is high and iron deficiency does not significantly alter the thyroid hormone profile in the study region. Keywords: iron deficiency; thyroid hormones; school children; subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of multiple etiology characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with a derangement in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion and action. Ferritin is a ubiquitous intracellular protein complex that reflects the iron stores of the body. Studies have shown that the increased body iron stores are associated with the development of glucose intolerance often leading to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The objective of the study was to find out association of serum ferritin level with T2DM and assess the correlation between serum ferritin and HbA1c. Methods: A hospital based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 43 diabetic patients and 42 age and sex matched healthy controls. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum ferritin were estimated in cobas c311 autoanalyser using standard protocol. Results: Mean age of healthy control and T2DM were found 54.83 ± 6.48 and 55.95±10.92 years respectively. Mean FPG (mg/dl) (170.41 ± 71.7 v/s 98.38 ± 9.7), PBG (mg/dl) (266.16 ± 110.09 v/s 123.20 ± 17.0), HbA1c (%) (8.17 ± 1.83 v/s 4.9 ± 0.29 and median ferritin (μg/L) 207.90 (138, 306.0) v/s 127.95 (85.75, 210.25) were significantly higher in T2DM compared to the healthy controls. Spearman’s correlation depicted that ferritin level was positively correlated with HbA1c level but the correlation was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Serum ferritin level was found significantly increased in T2DM compared to healthy age and sex matched controls in our study.

Objective: Both iodine deficiency and excess can negatively impact thyroid function. The present study was conducted to assess iodine nutrition among children and thyroid function in iodine deficient children. Results: A total of 1012 school aged children (6-14 years) from several schools of Udayapur district were enrolled initially for the assessment of urinary iodine concentration (UIC). Blood samples (n=83) were collected from a subgroup of children who had UIC

Background: Iodine deficiency, thyroid dysfunction and development of thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy may affect mother and the developing fetus. This study was carried out to find iodine status, thyroid dysfunction and thyroid autoimmunity among pregnant women.Methods: Ninety two pregnant women from three districts of eastern Nepal (Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa) were enrolled for the study, and urine and blood samples were collected. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC), free thyroxine (free T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin and anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody levels were estimated.Results: The median UIC, mean free T4 and TSH, median thyroglobulin and anti-TPO antibody in the pregnant women were 282.2 (158.42-376) μg/L, 1.14±0.41 ng/dL, 4.57±2.56 IU/mL, 6.5 (4.0-11.0) ng/mL, 1.52 (0.97-2.23) IU/mL respectively. In sufficient (40 ng/mL) and positive anti-TPO antibody was observed in three (3.26%) women for both.Conclusions: Iodine intake was sufficient among pregnant women recently, however, chronic iodine deficiency persisted in small fraction of pregnant women. Mild thyroid dysfunction was common, and thyroid autoimmunity was present in small portion of Nepalese pregnant women population.Keywords: Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody; Iodine deficiency; Nepal; pregnant women; thyroid dysfunction.

Background Aberrant iodine intake and thyroid autoimmunity affect thyroid function. Deficiencies of iodine including thyroid disorders have serious impact on child physical and mental development. This study was conducted to investigate iodine nutrition, thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity in the Nepalese children, and explore the association of thyroidal autoimmunity with iodine nutrition and thyroid dysfunction. Methods Five schools from Udayapur district of eastern Nepal were selected for the study. A total of 213 school children aged 6–12 years were enrolled, and anthropometric data, urine samples and blood samples were collected. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) was measured. Independent T test, Man-Whitney test, Chi-square test and Fisher’s Exact test were used for testing statistical significance. Spearman’s correlation analysis was done to find association between variables. Results The median UIC with IQR, mean ± SD fT3, mean ± SD fT4, median TSH and TgAb with IQR was 150.0 μg/L (102.8; 204.0), 2.49 ± 0.83 pg/ml, 1.33 ± 0.42 ng/dl, 2.49 mIU/L (1.58; 4.29), and 21.40 IU/ml (15.54; 31.20) respectively. Elvated TgAb (≥30 IU/ml, thyroid autoimmune condition) was seen in 25.8% (n = 55) children. UIC was less than 100 μg/L in 17.4% (n = 37) of the children. Subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism and sublinical hyperthyroidism was seen in 1.4% (n = 3), 3.3% (n = 7) and 3.8% (n = 8) children respectively. A strong association of TgAb with UIC (r = − 0.210, p = 0.002) and thyroid hormones; fT3 (r = − 0.160, p = 0.019), fT4 (r = − 0.275, p

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has become a public health problem worldwide regardless to geography. Vitamin D deficiency leads to osteoporosis and also associated with metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disorders. Early detection of vitamin D level in blood followed by supplementation can prevent various chronic diseases. There are limited studies of vitamin D deficiency from eastern Nepal therefore we planned to assess the prevalence of vitamin D in different age groups and gender among patients visiting at BPKIHS.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done among the patients attending Immunoassay laboratory of the BPKIHS. Based on purposive sampling technique, data of first visit of patients were taken who came for investigation of vitamin D from January to March, 2019. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels were measured by CLIA method using Maglumi 2000 (Snibe Co. Ltd, Shenzhen, China).Results: A total of 2399 (73.81%) female and 851 (26.19%) males were enrolled in the study among which 66 (2.03%), 133 (4.09%) and 3051 (93.88%) were children, adolescent and adult respectively. This study revealed 61.2%, 27.6% and 11.2% patients having deficient, insufficient and sufficient level of serum vitamin D respectively. Significantly, highest percentages of adolescents were found vitamin D deficient compared to adults and children. Adolescents have shown significantly low median levels of vitamin D (pConclusions: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is higher in patients visiting BPKIHS. Comparatively higher percentage of vitamin D deficiency and low vitamin D levels are reported among adolescents compared to children and adult.

Introduction: Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates the level of thyroid hormones synthesized in the thyroid gland. Its measurement greatly facilitates the clinical diagnosis as well as management of pituitary-thyroid diseases.

To assess iodine and iron nutritional status among Nepalese school children. A cross-sectional, community based study was conducted in the two districts, Ilam (hilly region) and Udayapur (plain region) of eastern Nepal. A total of 759 school children aged 6–13 y from different schools within the study areas were randomly enrolled. A total of 759 urine samples and 316 blood samples were collected. Blood hemoglobin level, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and urinary iodine concentration was measured. Percentage of transferrin saturation was calculated using serum iron and total iron binding capacity values. The mean level of hemoglobin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation and median urinary iodine excretion were 12.29 ± 1.85 g/dl, 70.45 ± 34.46 μg/dl, 386.48 ± 62.48 μg/dl, 19.94 ± 12.07 % and 274.67 μg/L respectively. Anemia, iron deficiency and iodine deficiency (urinary iodine excretion

Incidence of congenital hypothyroidism varies across countries and different geographic regions. A retrospective analysis of cord blood thyroid stimulating hormone values, and their subsequent follow-up, was done in a tertiary-care center in Kerala, India. Congenital hypothyroidism was found at the rate of 1 in 244, which is higher than reported incidence from other centers.

Introduction: Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates the level of thyroid hormones synthesized in the thyroid gland. Its measurement greatly facilitates the clinical diagnosis as well as management of pituitary-thyroid diseases. The level of analytes in biological sample is affected by pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical factors.

Objectives: The present study was conducted aiming to investigate lipid profile in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism as compared to age and sex matched controls.Methods: The study population consisted of total 80 subjects; 40 patients (cases) and 40 controls. Serum free tri-iodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4) were estimated by microplate competitive enzyme immunoassay, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Lipid profile tests: Total Cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were estimated by enzymatic methods and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) was calculated by Friedewald’s formula.Results: Significant differences were observed between lipid parameters in case Vs controls: total cholesterol (4.9±1.1 Vs 4.3±1.0 mmol/L, P=0.03), triglycerides (1.9±0.7 Vs 1.6±0.6 mmol/L, P=0.02) and LDL cholesterol levels (3.5±1.1 Vs 2.9±0.9 mmol/L, P=0.02). In case Vs controls no significant differences were observed between HDL Cholesterol (1.1±0.2 Vs 1.1±0.7 mmol/L, P=0.07), VLDL (0.9±0.4 Vs 0.8±0.3 mmol/L, P=0.1) and Cholesterol/HDL ratio (4.48±1.40 Vs 4.06±0.89, P=0.118). Elevated TSH level were found in cases Vs controls (12.42±7.08 Vs 2.69±0.20 mIU/L, P=0.01) which was statistically significant. The subjects on control group were euthyroid, however increased fT3 (3.9±0.8Vs 4.6±0.8 pmol/L, P=

Background: Iodine deficiency remains a significant health problem in developing countries, including Nepal. Objective: This study was conducted to measure the iodine status of school children in two districts Dhankuta and Tehrathum of Eastern Nepal by estimating median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) as a population parameter in the school children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2010 to July 2011 in school children (6-12 years of age) of two hilly districts of Eastern Nepal, Dhankuta and Tehrathum. A total of 154 school age children from the two districts were chosen for the study after obtaining written consent from their guardians and school authority. UIC was estimated in these school children by ammonium persulphate digestion microplate method. Results: Among the school age children selected for the study median inter-quartile range (IQR) of urinary iodine in Dhankuta (n=63) and Tehrathum (n=91) districts were 214.04 (126.44; 323.0) μg/L and 252.34 (161.81; 301.63) μg/L. No significant differences were observed between the median UIC of these two districts (p=0.235). Among the school children in Dhankuta districts 2(3.2%) were severely deficient, 4(6.3%) were moderately deficient and 6(9.5%) were mildly deficient. In Tehrathum district 2(2.2%) were moderately deficient and 5(5.5%) were mildly deficient. Conclusion: The present study showed improved iodine status with optimal levels of median urinary iodine concentration in the two districts, Dhankuta and Tehrathum of Eastern Nepal. Regular monitoring of population median urinary iodine concentration is recommended for sustainable optimal iodine nutrition. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/stcj.v1i1.7986 Sunsari Technical College Journal Vol.1(1) 2012 38-41

Background Deficiencies of iodine and iron may have adverse effect on thyroid function. This study was undertaken to investigate the association between iron status and thyroid function in Nepalese children living in hilly regions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 227 school children aged 6–12 years living in hilly regions of eastern Nepal. Urine and blood samples were analyzed for urinary iodine concentration, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, thyroid stimulating hormone, hemoglobin, serum iron and total iron binding capacity, and percentage transferrin saturation was calculated. Results The cohort comprised euthyroid (80.6 %, n = 183), overt hypothyroid (1.3 %, n = 3), subclinical hypothyroid (16.3 %, n = 37) and subclinical hyperthyroid (1.8 %, n = 4) children respectively. About 35.2 % (n = 80) children were anemic, 43.6 % (n = 99) were iron deficient and 19.8 % (n = 45) had urinary iodine excretion

Background: Tobacco consumption is one of the leading causes of oral submucous fibrosis, oral cancer and even premature death. The present study was designed to compare the biochemical parameters and nonenzymatic antioxidant status and the lipid peroxidation products in pan masala tobacco users as compared with age-matched non-user controls. Methods: Pan masala and tobacco users of age 33.2±9.94 years and age-matched controls (31.2±4.73 years) were enrolled for the study. Plasma levels of vitamin E, vitamin C, albumin, bilirubin, uric acid, glucose, urea, creatinine, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) were measured by standard methods. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were estimated as a measure of lipid peroxidation. Results: In the pan masala tobacco users, as compared to the controls, the level of vitamin C (68.5±5.9 vs 97.9±9.03 μmol/L, p≤0.05) vitamin E (18.4±5.3 vs 97.9±9.03 μmol/L, p≤0.001), albumin (37.5±7.01 vs 44.3±9.99 g/L, p≤0.001), and malondialdehyde (10.8±1.29 vs 1.72±1.15 nmol/ml, p≤0.001 ) were found to be significantly altered. Malondialdehyde was significantly correlated with vitamin E (r=1.00, p

To assess the iodine status among primary school children of Dhankuta and Dharan in eastern Nepal. A population based cross sectional study was conducted on schools of Dhankuta and Dharan from January–March 2008. 385 samples of both urine and salt were collected from school children aged 6–11 yrs. Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was measured in casual urine samples by the ammonium-persulphate digestion microplate (APDM) method and salt iodine content by using a semi quantitative rapid test kit. The median UIEs of school children of Dhankuta and Dharan were 157.1 μg/L and 180.3 μg/L respectively. The percentage of iodine deficient (UIE

Background: Iodine deficiency as well as iodine excess can result in an increased prevalence of thyroid disorders. The prevalence of excess iodine nutrition is increasing all over the world. The aim of the present study was to find the occurrence of iodine nutrition status in primary school children of Eastern Nepal and find the prevalence of associated thyroid dysfunction among those with excess urinary iodine concentration.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Udayapur district which is located in Eastern part of Nepal. Primary school aged children (6 years to 12 years) were enrolled in this study from three schools. Blood and urine samples were collected and assayed for urinary iodine concentration (UIC), free thyroid hormones (fT3 and fT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Results: The median UIC was 232.27 µg/L. The iodine status showed that 15.5% (n=31) had low UIC, 21% (n=42) had above requirement and 36% (n=72) had excessive iodine nutrition status. The mean concentration of fT3 and fT4 was 2.87 pg/ml and 1.21 ng/dl respectively, while the median TSH concentration was 3.03 mIU/L. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 10% (n=20) with subclinical hypothyroidism being the most common. Majority of participants with subclinical hypothyroidism had excess UIC.Conclusions: Above requirement and excess iodine nutrition is more common in region where there is unregulated consumption and improper monitoring of iodized salt. Subclinical hypothyroidism is common in regions of excess iodine nutrition.

Anemia is one of the most common public health problems in developing countries like Nepal. This study was done to find the prevalence of anemia among the children aged 4-13 years in eastern Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in four districts (Morang, Udayapur, Bhojpur and Ilam) of eastern Nepal to find the prevalence of anemia among the school children of eastern Nepal. Children aged 4-13 years were selected randomly from different schools of above districts and 618 venous blood samples were collected. Hemoglobin level was estimated by using cyanmethemoglobin method. The mean hemoglobin level was 12.2 ± 1.82 gm/dl. About 37.9% (n = 234) children were found anemic. Anemia prevalence was 42.4% (n = 78), 31.6% (n = 60), 45.3% (n = 48) and 34.8% (n = 48) among school children of Morang, Udayapur, Bhojpur and Ilam district, respectively. The study finds anemia as a significant health problem among the school children of eastern Nepal.

To assess the current iodine status among school children in Terai region of Nepal. A cross sectional study was conducted in 2012 among the school children aged 6–12y in three Terai districts (Siraha, Saptari and Jhapa) of eastern Nepal. A total of 1105 casual urine samples were collected from children of different schools of above districts. Urinary iodine excretion was estimated using ammonium persulphate digestion method. The median urinary iodine excretion in school children was 226.33μg/L (234.16μg/L, 229.25μg/L and 210.67μg/L in Siraha, Saptari and Jhapa districts respectively). About 12.7% (n = 140) children were found to be iodine deficient and 34.2% (n = 378) children had excessive iodine nutrition. There was good improvement in iodine nutrition among children in Terai region, with a large part of population showing excessive iodine nutrition.

Background Iodine deficiency is a major public health problem in many developing countries including Nepal. The present study was designed to investigate the urinary iodine excretion (UIE), thyroid function status and household salt iodine content (SIC) in school-aged children (SAC) and to establish the relationships between these factors. Methods A community-based cross sectional study was conducted in selected schools of two districts, Tehrathum and Morang, lying in the hill and plain region of eastern Nepal respectively. A total of 640 SAC, (Tehrathum n = 274 and Morang n = 366) aged 6–11 years, were assessed for UIE and household SIC. Among the 640 children, 155 consented to blood samples (Tehrathum n = 78 and Morang n = 77) to test for serum thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4). UIE was measured by ammonium persulfate digestion method. SIC was measured by iodometric titration method and Tg, TSH, fT4 and fT3 were measured by immunoassay based kit method. Results In Tehrathum and Morang, 9.5 and 7.7 % of SAC had UIE values of UIE 299 µg/L, with median UIE of 345.65 and 270.36 µg/L respectively. The overall medians were as follows, Tg 14.29 µg/L, fT3 3.94 pmol/L, fT4 16.25 pmol/L and TSH 3.61 mIU/L. There was a negative correlation between UIE and Tg (r = −0.236, p = 0.003) and a positive correlation between UIE and SIC (r = 0.349, p

Background: Universal salt iodization remains the best strategy for controlling iodine deficiency disorders in Nepal. Aims: This study was designed to study the salt types and the household salt iodine content of school aged children in the hilly and the plain districts of eastern Nepal. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on school children of seven randomly chosen schools from four districts, namely, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha and Tehrathum of eastern Nepal. The school children were requested to bring two teaspoonfuls (approx. 12-15 g) of the salt which was consumed in their households, in a tightly sealed plastic pouch. The salt types were categorized, and the salt iodine content was estimated by using rapid test kits and iodometric titrations. The association of the salt iodine content of the different districts were tested by using the Chi-square test. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of the rapid test kits were compared with the iodometric titrations. Results: Our study showed that mean±SD values of the salt iodine content in the four districts, namely, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha and Tehrathum were 34.2±17.9, 33.2±14.5, 27.4±15.1 and 48.4±15.6 parts per million (ppm). There were 270 (38.2%) households which consumed crystal salt and 437(61.8%) of the households consumed packet salts. Conclusions: Our study recommends a regular monitoring of the salt iodization programs in these regions. More families should be made aware of the need to ensure that each individual consumes iodized salt.

Context: It has been widely reported that thyroid gland is very much prone to autoimmune disorder. Adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme distributed in the human tissues, is considered as nonspecific marker of cell-mediated immunity. Also it is suggested to be an important enzyme for modulating the bioactivity of thyroid hormones, but its clinical significance in thyroid disorders is not yet characterized. Therefore this study aims to see association between serum ADA and different thyroid disorders if any. Research Design and Methods: This was a hospital based cross sectional study conducted in Immunoassay laboratory of Department of Biochemistry, BPKIHS. A total of 122 subjects were selected and divided into five groups: Group 1 (Euthyroid), Group 2 (Overt Hyperthyroid), Group 3 (Subclinical Hyperthyroid), Group 4 (Overt Hypothyroid) and Group 5 (Subclinical Hypothyroid) based on the thyroid function status. Samples were stored at − 20 o till the assay of parameters. Thyroid hormones; thyroxine (fT4), triiodothyronine (fT3) and thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH) were assayed by Enzyme Linked Immunoflouresent Assay (ELFA) technique. Serum ADA activity was estimated by spectrophotometric methods of Giusti and Galanti. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical analysis done by Chi-square test and one way ANOVA. P

Background: Zinc deficiency is a major public health problem in many developing countries including Nepal. The present study was designed to assess the prevalence of zinc deficiency and to study the association of zinc deficiency with anthropometric and socio-demographic variables, in school children of eastern Nepal. Methods: This cross-sectional study included total 125 school children of age group 6–12 years from Sunsari and Dhankuta districts of eastern Nepal. Plasma zinc level was estimated by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Results: The Median interquartile range (IQR) values of zinc in the two districts Sunsari and Dhankuta were 5.9 (4.4, 7.9) μmol/L and 5.8 (4.3, 8.4) μmol/L respectively. A total of 55 children (87.3%) in Sunsari and 52 (83.9%) in Dhankuta had zinc deficiency, no significant difference was observed in the Median (IQR) plasma zinc levels (p = 0.9) and zinc deficiency patterns (p = 0.3) of the two districts. Significant differences were observed in the plasma zinc levels (p = 0.02) and zinc deficiency patterns (p = 0.001), of the school children having age groups 6–8 years than in 9–10 and 11–12 years of age, and zinc deficiency patterns between male and female school children (p = 0.04) respectively. Conclusions: The present study showed higher prevalence of zinc deficiency among school children in eastern Nepal. In our study, zinc deficiency was associated with both sex and age. The findings from the present study will help to populate data for policy implementation regarding consumption and supplementation of zinc.