Regulation of the Pituitary-Thyroid Axis in Adulthood Is Not Related to Birth Weight: Evidence from Extremely Birth Weight–Discordant Monozygotic Danish Twin Pairs

Frost, Morten; Petersen, Inge; Christiansen, Lene; Brix, Thomas Heiberg; Christensen, Kaare

doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0095

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(25 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thyroid hormone abnormalities and thyroid autoimmunity have been considered both as the outcome and as the exposure in a fetal programing hypothesis. A number of studies, including studies in twins, have evaluated the association between birth weight and adult thyroid function as the outcome, and some studies have reported an association between fetal growth characteristics and the later presence of thyroid autoantibodies and adult thyroid function (25,26), whereas others found no association (27,28,29).…”

Section: Hypothesis Of Fetal Programing By Maternal Thyroid Dysfunctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers with thyroid dysfunction: evidence of fetal programming?

Andersen¹,

Carlé²,

Karmisholt³

et al. 2017

European Journal of Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fetal programming is a long-standing, but still evolving, concept that links exposures during pregnancy to the later development of disease in the offspring. A fetal programming effect has been considered within different endocrine axes and in relation to different maternal endocrine diseases. In this critical review, we describe and discuss the hypothesis of fetal programming by maternal thyroid dysfunction in the context of fetal brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. Thyroid hormones are important regulators of early brain development, and evidence from experimental and observational human studies have demonstrated structural and functional abnormalities in the brain caused by the lack or excess of thyroid hormone during fetal brain development. The hypothesis that such abnormalities introduced during early fetal brain development increase susceptibility for the later onset of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring is biologically plausible. However, epidemiological studies on the association between maternal thyroid dysfunction and long-term child outcomes are observational in design, and are challenged by important methodological aspects.

show abstract

Section: Hypothesis Of Fetal Programing By Maternal Thyroid Dysfunctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers with thyroid dysfunction: evidence of fetal programming?

Andersen¹,

Carlé²,

Karmisholt³

et al. 2017

European Journal of Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, our results align with those of other research. For instance, a study by Frost et al [30] in 152 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for birth weight revealed no substantial evidence linking birth weight with adult pituitary‐thyroid axis set points. Although lower birth weight correlated with reduced free thyroxine (FT4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels in adulthood when twins were analyzed individually, within‐pair analyses (accounting for shared genetics and upbringing) showed no significant birth weight‐related differences in TSH or T3.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No causal associations of genetically predicted birth weight and life course BMI with thyroid function and diseases

Zhou,

Ruan,

et al. 2024

Obesity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveObservational studies have suggested associations of birth weight, childhood BMI, and adulthood BMI with thyroid function or diseases. However, the causal relationships remain unclear due to residual confounding inherent in conventional epidemiological studies.MethodsWe performed a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate causal relationships of genetically predicted birth weight, childhood BMI, and adulthood BMI with a range of clinically relevant thyroid outcomes. Additionally, we conducted a reverse MR analysis on adulthood BMI. Data on exposures and outcomes were obtained from large‐scale genome‐wide association study meta‐analyses predominantly composed of individuals of European ancestry.ResultsThe MR analysis revealed no evidence of causal associations of birth weight or BMI at different life stages with thyrotropin (TSH) levels, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid disorders, or thyroid cancer. Contrarily, thyroid cancer demonstrated a significant causal relationship with increased adulthood BMI (β = 0.010, 95% CI: 0.006–0.015; p = 5.21 × 10−6).ConclusionsOur comprehensive MR did not find causal links of birth weight, childhood BMI, or adulthood BMI with thyroid diseases but provided evidence that thyroid cancer may play a role in weight gain. Our research findings offer valuable insights into the intricate relationship between body weight and thyroid health throughout an individual's life.

show abstract

“…An infant's birthweight is related to their thyroid stimulating hormone levels at birth, 33,34 but this association does not appear to persist into childhood or adulthood. 34,35 Birthweight has also demonstrated inverse associations with free thyroxine (FT4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in older adult twin pairs, 35 as well as subclinical thyroid dysfunction and both thyroglobulin (TgAb) and thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb) autoantibodies, 36,37 although a separate study found no association between birthweight and TgAB or TPOAb. 38 No associations were observed between birthweight and autoimmune (i.e., Grave's disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis) or nonautoimmune (i.e., simple and toxic nodular goiter) thyroid diseases, 18 however lower birthweights were shown to increase the risk for spontaneous hypothyroidism in older adults.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Birthweight and subsequent risk for thyroid and autoimmune conditions in postmenopausal women

Monahan

Farland

Shadyab

et al. 2021

J Dev Orig Health Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective of this study was to determine the association between birthweight and risk of thyroid and autoimmune conditions in a large sample of postmenopausal women. Baseline data from the Women’s Health Initiative (n = 80,806) were used to examine the associations between birthweight category (<6 lbs., 6–7 lbs. 15 oz, 8–9 lbs. 15 oz, and ≥10 lbs.) and prevalent thyroid (underactive and overactive thyroid and goiter) and autoimmune (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease) conditions. Follow-up questionnaire data were used to examine the associations between birthweight and incident underactive and overactive thyroid, lupus, and RA. Logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted odds (OR) and hazards ratios (HR), respectively. Overall, women born weighing ≥10 lbs. had an increased risk for underactive thyroid [OR 1.14 (95% CI 1.02, 1.28)] and incident lupus [HR 1.51 (95% CI 1.12, 2.03)] and a decreased risk for overactive thyroid [OR 0.67 (95% CI 0.50, 0.92)] compared to women born weighing 6–7.99 lbs., after adjustment for adult BMI, demographic variables, and lifestyle factors. Further, women born weighing <6 lbs. were at increased risk for underactive thyroid [OR 1.13 (95% CI 1.04, 1.22)]. Birthweight was not associated with other thyroid or autoimmune disorders. High birthweight was associated with later-life thyroid and autoimmune conditions while low birthweight was associated with underactive thyroid. Preconception and prenatal interventions aimed at reducing the risk of both high and low birthweights may reduce the burden of later-life thyroid and autoimmune conditions.

show abstract

Regulation of the Pituitary-Thyroid Axis in Adulthood Is Not Related to Birth Weight: Evidence from Extremely Birth Weight–Discordant Monozygotic Danish Twin Pairs

Abstract: No overall evidence of an association between birth weight and adult pituitary-thyroid axis set point, after control for genetic and environmental factors, could be demonstrated.

Cited by 6 publications

References 28 publications

MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers with thyroid dysfunction: evidence of fetal programming?

MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers with thyroid dysfunction: evidence of fetal programming?

No causal associations of genetically predicted birth weight and life course BMI with thyroid function and diseases

Birthweight and subsequent risk for thyroid and autoimmune conditions in postmenopausal women

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About