Niloofar Hajizadeh - Associated profesor of pediatric nephrology. Children’s Medical Center, Pediatric Center of Excellence, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sayed Mahdi Marashi - Trauma Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Behnam Nabavizadeh - Pediatric Urology Research Center, Pediatric Center of Excellence, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ehsan Elhami - Resident of ophthalmology. Khatam Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Introduction In children with nephrotic syndrome, it is probable to determine a hypothyroid state because of thyroxine (T4), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-binding globulin loss in presence of proteinuria. Objectives: To examine thyroid function in pediatric cases of nephrotic syndrome. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, from march 2010 to march 2012, thyroid function tests were performed in 104 patients referred to the nephrology department of children’s medical center, because of nephrotic  syndrome. Collected data analyzed with SPSS Statistics 17 and pResults: Sixty one cases identified as hypothyroid patients and were treated with supplementary levothyroxine. There were 41 (67.2%) males and 20 (32.8%) females with the mean age of 3.72±3.35 years. Our patients showed lowered T3 (68.3%) and T4 (64.4%) in comparison with normal values. Median TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) was 11.65±6.71 Micu/ml and 2.82±0.82 in the hypothyroid and euthyroid patients respectively. In all, TSH was negatively correlated with the total urinary protein content . Conclusions: According to this study, the occurrence of hypothyroidism in any child with nephrotic syndrome needs to be mentioned. It is proposed to systematically search hypothyroidism by measuring TSH and free T4 in these patients particularly when proteinuria is prolonged.

thyroid function, Hypothyroidism, Nephrotic syndrome, Proteinuria, Childhood