THYROID PEROXIDASE IN ENDEMIC GOITER TISSUE

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) activity and TPO protein were analyzed in endemic goiter tissue under iodine deficiency and after iodine supplement. TPO was prepared from 9 endemic goiter tissues and 4 normal thyroid tissues by solubilizing enzyme with detergent. Four patients with endemic goiter received iodized oil injection 12 months before surgery. All patients had normal serum thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid hormone levels before surgery. TPO activity was measured by iodinase assay and guaiacol assay. Endemic goiter TPO showed greater iodination activity than that of normal TPO (p < 0.01). The guaiacol assay showed greater TPO activity in 6 of the 9 endemic goiter tissues than that of the normal tissue. Iodized oil treatment did not affect TPO activity or TPO proteins when compared with those in untreated endemic goiter tissues. TPO activity in endemic goiter tissue correlated with thyroid T4 5'-deiodinase activity and not with thyroid hormone content in thyroglobulin. Since thyroid T4 5'-deiodinase and TPO are under control of TSH, an increase in TPO activity in the presence of normal serum TSH may be explained by the increased sensitivity of endemic goiter tissue to TSH-one of the possible adaptation mechanisms of endemic goiter.