Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade

Background: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the most accurate marker in the assessment of thyroid function. Establishing a reference interval (RI) for TSH is essential for interpreting results of thyroid function tests. TSH RI in the Lebanese population using the indirect method is lacking. The...

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Main Authors: Elie Naous, Riam Hijazi, Marianne Chalhoub, Nada El Ghorayeb, Marie-Hélène Gannagé-Yared
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:Heliyon
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025008333
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author Elie Naous
Riam Hijazi
Marianne Chalhoub
Nada El Ghorayeb
Marie-Hélène Gannagé-Yared
author_facet Elie Naous
Riam Hijazi
Marianne Chalhoub
Nada El Ghorayeb
Marie-Hélène Gannagé-Yared
author_sort Elie Naous
collection DOAJ
description Background: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the most accurate marker in the assessment of thyroid function. Establishing a reference interval (RI) for TSH is essential for interpreting results of thyroid function tests. TSH RI in the Lebanese population using the indirect method is lacking. The aim of this study is to establish TSH RI according to age and gender, and to assess its trend over the last decade using the indirect method. Methods: TSH values of 80156 outpatient subjects (age range 18–99) were retrospectively collected between January 2011 and April 2021 from a tertiary university medical center in Beirut. TSH was measured using the same chemiluminescent assay (Immulite 2000). Results: The median TSH was 1.4 mIU/L (IQ 0.94–2.10). TSH RI was wider compared to the manufacturer one (0.31–4.95 mIU/L vs 0.40–4.0, p < 0.001). There was a decrease in lower reference limit (LRL) and an increase in upper reference limit (URL) with the increase in age categories (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). RI was broader in women compared to men (respectively 0.29–5.20 vs 0.35–4.48 mIU/L, p < 0.001). There are significant differences in the median, LRL and URL across the years and in all age categories (p < 0.001). TSH RI using the indirect method was wider than the direct method one (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Using the indirect method, TSH RI in the Lebanese population is wider than the manufacturers'one and that those obtained by the direct method and varies according to age, gender and over time. A periodic reevaluation of RI for each population should be done.
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spelling doaj-art-d6deab19d0644d698267ffd79132aff92025-02-07T04:47:58ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-02-01113e42453Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decadeElie Naous0Riam Hijazi1Marianne Chalhoub2Nada El Ghorayeb3Marie-Hélène Gannagé-Yared4Department of Endocrinology, Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Internal Medicine, St's Elizabeth Medical Center, Tufts Medical School and Boston University Medical School, MA, 02135, USADepartment of Endocrinology, Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Endocrinology, Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Endocrinology, Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Endocrinology, Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon; Corresponding author. Hotel-Dieu de France, Saint Joseph University, P.O.Box 11-5076, Riad el Solh, Beirut, Lebanon.Background: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the most accurate marker in the assessment of thyroid function. Establishing a reference interval (RI) for TSH is essential for interpreting results of thyroid function tests. TSH RI in the Lebanese population using the indirect method is lacking. The aim of this study is to establish TSH RI according to age and gender, and to assess its trend over the last decade using the indirect method. Methods: TSH values of 80156 outpatient subjects (age range 18–99) were retrospectively collected between January 2011 and April 2021 from a tertiary university medical center in Beirut. TSH was measured using the same chemiluminescent assay (Immulite 2000). Results: The median TSH was 1.4 mIU/L (IQ 0.94–2.10). TSH RI was wider compared to the manufacturer one (0.31–4.95 mIU/L vs 0.40–4.0, p < 0.001). There was a decrease in lower reference limit (LRL) and an increase in upper reference limit (URL) with the increase in age categories (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). RI was broader in women compared to men (respectively 0.29–5.20 vs 0.35–4.48 mIU/L, p < 0.001). There are significant differences in the median, LRL and URL across the years and in all age categories (p < 0.001). TSH RI using the indirect method was wider than the direct method one (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Using the indirect method, TSH RI in the Lebanese population is wider than the manufacturers'one and that those obtained by the direct method and varies according to age, gender and over time. A periodic reevaluation of RI for each population should be done.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025008333Thyroid stimulating hormoneIndirect reference intervalGenderAgeAdultsLebanese
spellingShingle Elie Naous
Riam Hijazi
Marianne Chalhoub
Nada El Ghorayeb
Marie-Hélène Gannagé-Yared
Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
Heliyon
Thyroid stimulating hormone
Indirect reference interval
Gender
Age
Adults
Lebanese
title Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
title_full Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
title_fullStr Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
title_full_unstemmed Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
title_short Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone in the adult Lebanese population: Results from the last decade
title_sort reference intervals for thyroid stimulating hormone in the adult lebanese population results from the last decade
topic Thyroid stimulating hormone
Indirect reference interval
Gender
Age
Adults
Lebanese
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025008333
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