Determination of Fifty Trace Element Contents in Macro and Micro Follicular Colloid Nodular Goiter

Background: Colloid nodular goiter (CNG) is the most common disease of the thyroid, even in non-endemic regions, but an etiology of CNG is unclear. It is known that not only iodine (I) but other trace elements (TE) are involved in goitrogenesis. The present study was performed to clarify the preferential accumulation of some TE either in the colloid or in cells of the thyroid gland. Methods: Fifty TE (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Hg, Ho, Ir, La, Li, Lu, Mn, Mo, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pr, Pt, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr) in the thyroid tissues with diagnosed CNG were prospectively evaluated in 16 patients with macro-follicular CNG and 13 patients with micro-follicular CNG. Control group included thyroid tissue samples from 105 healthy individuals. Mea- surements were performed using a combination of non-destructive instrumental neutron activation analysis with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: It was found that with a goitrous transformation the Ag, Al, B, Bi, Co, Er, Fe, Hg, Mo, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Tl, U, Y, and Zn level in thyroid tissue can be significantly changed, and these changes depend on CNG histology. An association between B and Pb content and cell volume of CNG was observed. Conclusion: thyroid, which depend on the histology of goiter.