IODINE

• Apprx. 0.00004% of body wt. and total body -15 to 23mg

Iodine is present
• 75% is in thyroid gland; rest- salivary, mammary, gastric
glands and kidneys.
• Circulation- free iodide ions (I) and protein bound Iodine
(PBI).
• Involved in hormones synthesis- Thyroxine T4
Triiodothyronine T3
Absorption, transport and metabolism
• In food- inorganic iodide ions, free inorganic iodine or
iodine atoms covalently bound within organic comps.
• In intestine- 95-100% absorbed, distributed into ECF.
• 1/3rd – absorbed by thyroid gland (Appx. 6- 120mg is
trapped)
• Remainder- urine, perspiration and feces.
• Thyroid gland- after absorption iodide form is converted to iodine
and combines with tyrosine in the protein thyroglobulin (iodine
storage protein).
Dietary iodine →Blood ↓ in thyroxine –detects in hypothalamus
↓ ↓
thyroid gland Tyrosine stimulates thyroid - releasing factor (TRF)
↓ residues in ↓
Iodide → iodine thyroglobulin Pitutary (thyroid stimulating hormone TSH)

Thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3

↓
blood
↓
↑ Thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3 In various organs
↓ T4 is converted to
in plasma in the ratio of 4:3 T3 by selenium
↓
cells - regulate the process of energy release based enzymes
Functions of Iodine
 Plays in imp. role in synthesis of hormones:
T4- thyroxine and T3- triiodothyronine
 plays major role in regulating growth and devt. And
reproduction
stimulate the metabolic rate by 30%, increased rate of
oxygen use and increased generation of heat (regulate the
body temp.)
Brain- proliferation of brain cells and regulate the brain
functions.
Growth- 4th month of intrautirine to 3rd yr postnatal life.
Conversion of Carotene to vit A, syn. of proteins.
Hypothyroidism- high cholesterol and vise versa.
 RDA by ICMR
Group μg/day
1. Adult 100-200

2. Infant 40-50
3. Children 70 - 120
4. Pregnancy +25
5. Lactation +50
Water
• Goitrous areas- 3-16 μg/l
• Non-goitrous areas- 50-64 μg/l
• Sea foods, meat, egg, milk
• salt
IDD- factors responsible
Environmental and intrinsic factors
Environmental factors:
 high elevated areas with high rainfall with run – off into
rivers
High rain fall, snow, and flooding increase the lossof soil
iodine which has often been already denuded by past
glaciation- low iodine in food and animals
Sea water large quantities- 50-60 μg/l- through rain to soil
crops grown and animals grazing on these plants - grown in
this soil
Water from the deep wells
 sub- Himalayan belt- IDD
Peninsular India also –Director General of Health services,
Govt. of India.
Goitrogens:
o substances interfere with iodine metabolism at various
stages- uptake of iodine, oxidation of iodine, thyroxine to
triiodothyronine
o Enzymes- NADPH-oxidase, Thyroid peroxidase, 5-
deiodinase involved in hormone syn. action.
o Goitrogens – food- tapioca, sorghum, finger millet, sweet
potato, almonds, peashes soy beans etc.
o Goitrognes get inactive after cooking
o Antibiotic- sulphonamide and PABA– inhibit iodine to
iodide
o Areas with more goitrogens and non goitrogens
Intrinsic Factors:
o Rare congenital defects can occur in the hormone
synthesis and secretion and peripheral resistance to
thyroid hormone can also result in goitre
Summary
Iodine deficiency early in life impairs cognition and growth, but iodine status is also a key
determinant of thyroid disorders in adults. Severe iodine deficiency causes goitre and
hypothyroidism because, despite an increase in thyroid activity to maximise iodine
uptake and recycling in this setting, iodine concentrations are still too low to enable
production of thyroid hormone. In mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency, increased thyroid
activity can compensate for low iodine intake and maintain euthyroidism in most
individuals, but at a price: chronic thyroid stimulation results in an increase in the
prevalence of toxic nodular goitre and hyperthyroidism in populations. This high
prevalence of nodular autonomy usually results in a further increase in the prevalence of
hyperthyroidism if iodine intake is subsequently increased by salt iodisation. However,
this increase is transient because iodine sufficiency normalises thyroid activity which, in
the long term, reduces nodular autonomy. Increased iodine intake in an iodine-deficient
population is associated with a small increase in the prevalence of subclinical
hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity; whether these increases are also transient is
unclear. Variations in population iodine intake do not affect risk for Graves' disease or
thyroid cancer, but correction of iodine deficiency might shift thyroid cancer subtypes
toward less malignant forms. Thus, optimisation of population iodine intake is an
important component of preventive health care to reduce the prevalence of thyroid
disorders.
 Toxic nodular goiter involves an enlarged thyroid gland. The gland contains areas that
have increased in size and formed nodules. One or more of these nodules produce too
much thyroid hormone.

Thyroid nodules are very common up to half of

all people have at least one thyroid nodule,
although most do not know about it. Thyroid
nodules can be caused by many different
conditions Reassuringly, about 95 percent of
all thyroid nodules .are caused by benign (non-
cancerous) condition