Smyth, P.P.Wijeyaratne, C.N.Kaluarachi, W.N.Smith, D.F.Premawardena, L.D.K.E.Parkes, A.B.Jayasinghe, A.de Silva, D.G.H.Lazarus, J.H.2014-10-292014-10-292005Thyroid. 2005; 15(5): pp.474-71050-7256 (Print)1557-9077 (Electronic)http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/1683Indexed in MEDLINEThyroid antibodies were measured sequentially in 25 pregnant women from a Sri Lankan population. A high prevalence of antithyroidantibodies, particularly antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) had previously been demonstrated in female schoolchildren drawn from this population. In the present study TgAb were detected in 36.8% of nonpregnant controls while thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) positivity was present in 26.3%. The prevalence of both antibodies in the pregnancy study group showed a progressive decline compared to nonpregnant controls throughout gestation becoming undetectable in the third trimester. The results are consistent with an immunosuppressive effect of pregnancy in a population in whom high thyroid autoantibody titers may have resulted from a recent salt iodization program.ArticlePaediatrics