[Iodine/046905] 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 1 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04 

EPA Reviewer: Jonathan Leshin, Ph.D. Signatur"·~--z__-- RASSB, Antimicrobials Division (7510P) Da~~~~z 1t-/ 

Secondary Review: Michelle Centra,Pharmacologist Signature:'/Ul\7/ Ad1;t,. 

RASSB, Antimicrobials Division (7510P) Date: --....... -"""'"'f->~e..-r...__,_~V __ _ Template version 02/06 " 

PC CODE: 046905 

TXR#: 1003329 

II Data Evaluation Record II 

DP BARCODE: 408676 

STUDY TYPE: Subchronic Oral Toxicity- capsule- human; OPPTS 870.3150 [§82-1]. 

TEST MATERIAL (PURITY): Tetraglycine hydroperiodide (releases to iodine in water) 

SYNONYMS: Iodine 

CITATION: LeMar, H.J., Georgitis, W.J., McDermott, M.T. (1988) Thryoid adaptation to 

chronic tetraglycine hydroperiodide water purification tablet use. Madigan Army 

Medical Center and Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center: Journal of Clinical 

Endocrinology and Metabolishm 80(1): 220-223. MRID 49318802 

SPONSOR: US Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD 

INVESTIGATORS' EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 

In a 90-day oral toxicity study (MRID 49318802), iodine in the form of tetraglycine 

hydroperiodide was self administered by patients as four water purification tablets dissolved in 

juice or water every day for ninety days. The test group was made up of eight, healthy, 

Caucasian volunteers; seven male and one female. Each tablet released approximately 8 mg of 

free iodine and thus iodine consumption was approximately 32 mg/day in addition to dietary 

consumption of iodine from a typical American diet. 

Serum inorganic iodide increased from a level of2.7 ± 1.0 Jlg/dL to 101 ± 21 Jlg/dL after ninety 

days of exposure. Protein bound iodide increased from 4.8 ± 0.5 J.!g/dL to 27.7 ± 1.3 Jlg/dL after 

ninety days of exposure. Urinary iodide increased from 0.276 ± 0.061 mg/day to 35 ± 4.4 mg/day 

after ninety days of exposure, a rise of approximately 150 fold. Radioactive iodine uptake 

dropped from 8-26% to below 2% after day 7 and remained below 2% through day 90. Mean 

serum T3 and T4 declined after 7 days, with T4 remaining below baseline and T3 recovering by 

the end of the treatment period. Serum TSH and TSH response to TRH rose after 7 days and 

remained elevated throughout the study. The average thyroid volume was increased by 37%. 

Neither hypo- nor hyper-thyroidism was found in any subject. For the 7 subjects available for 

repeat thyroid volume determinations on average 7.1 months after the study was concluded, the 
[Iodine/046905) 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 2 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04 

thyroid volume returned to baseline. This indicates that a reversible, TSH dependent thyroid 

enlargement occurs in response to increased iodine load from daily use of water purification 

tablets. 

This study is labeled qualitative as it is outside the parameters for a normal guideline study. It 

does provide useful information on the effects of excess iodine in humans, which include a form 

of reversible thyroid gland volume increase and decreases in T4levels, along with a adaptive 

change in T3 levels. 

I. MATERIALS AND METHODS 

A. MATERIALS: 

1. Test Material: 

Description: 

CAS# ifTGAI: 

Tetraglycine hydroperiodide 

Tablets provided by the US Army quartermaster supply from Van Ben Industries 

7097-60-1 

o,,,~o 

HO /~\ 0 H 

I HOi 0 11 N O~N 'l(.r--.. N--'~ 1('"''NH 2 

0 H 0 

2. Vehicle and/or positive control: Juice or water 

3. Test animals: 

Diet: 

Subject information: 

Humans 

Typical American 

7 male and I female Caucasians, age 35-47, healthy, not pregnant, euthyroid, no history of 

thyroid disease, chronic medical disorders, use of medications known to affect thyroid 

function or previous reactions to iodine. 

B. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: 

All subjects had initial evaluations for the study. Baseline levels of blood basal serum iodine, T4, 

T3, and TSH were measured. Stimulated TSH was measured twenty minutes after stimulation by 

TRH (TSH-20). A 24 urine sample was collected to measure baseline urinary iodine. A 24 hour 

radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) was recorded after dosing with l11Ci dose of 131 1, with ten 

minute counting times. Thyroid volume was measured in the recumbent position by ultrasound. 

Subjects consumed four water purification tablets dissolved in juice or water daily for 90 days in 

addition to their regular daily diet. Repeat serum iodine, T3, T4, TSH and TSH-20 and urinary 

iodine measurements were collected on days 7, 28 and 90. RAIU was remeasured on days 7 and 

90 and thyroid volume was reassessed on days 35 and 90. 

Results were expressed as mean ± sem, with a level of p<0.05 considered statistically significant. 

Data was analyzed by analysis ofvariance (ANOVA), followed by Student-Newman-Keuls 
[lodine/046905) 

multiple comparison tests. 

II. RESULTS 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 3 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04 

A. Serum inorganic, protein-bound and urinary iodides: 

Serum inorganic iodide increased from a level of2.7 ± 1.0 J..lg/dL to 101 ± 21 J..lg/dL after ninety 

days of exposure, with saturation occurring after 28 days. Protein bound iodide increased from 

4.8 ± 0.5 J..lg/dL to 27.7 ± 1.3 J..lg/dL after ninety days of exposure with saturation occurring after 

seven days. Urinary iodide increased from 0.276 ± 0.061 mg/day to 35 ± 4.4 mg/day after ninety 

days of exposure, a rise of approximately 150 fold. These changes are outlined in Table 1. 

T a e bl 1 : Ch anges m serum morgamc, pro t . em b oun 

I Before treatment I 

Inorganic (!lg/dL) I 2.7 ± 1.0 

Protein bound {jlg/dL) I 4.8 ± 0.5 

Iodine (mg/day) I 0.276 ± 0.061 

Data shown are the mean ± sem. 

* O.OOI 

B. Radioiodine thyroid uptake: 

I 

I 

I 

Day7 

Serum 

93 ± 24* 

32.0 ± 5.2* 

Urine 

37.2 ± 4.4* 

d d an urmary . d'd 10 1 es 

During Treatment 

I Day28 I Day90 

I 102 ± 23* I 101±21* 

I 29.8 ± 4.2* I 27.7 ± 1.3* 

I 42.5 ± 6.5* I 35.0 ± 4.4* 

Three 24 hour RAIU tests were performed, before and after 7 and 90 days of treatment. Uptake 

dropped from 8-26% to approximately two percent after seven days and below two percent after 

90 days. This data is shown in Figure 1. 

Figure 1. Individual 24-hour radioactive iodine uptake before and during treatment. The normal 

range of uptake is indicated by the open rectangle. RAIU decreased markedly at 7 days and 

remained low at 90 days. The mean± SEM are displayed in inset.***, P<0.001 
[lodine/046905) 

50 

-

M -40 

trJ 

0 

~ 30 .... 

Q. 

;:) 

.... 20 

:I 

0 

:I: 10 

""' ('lo,J 

0 

0 

20 

10 

0 

7 

Days 

C. Serum thyroid hormones: 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 4 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04 

-

••• • •• 

0 7 90 

90 

Mean serum T4 concentration fell slightly on day 7 and remained below pretreatment value 

through days 28 and 90. Mean T3 concentration was lower than pretreatment value on day 7 but 

averaged above baseline on days 28 and 90. No changes were significant. Data is shown in Table 

2. 

Table 2: Effect of TGH treatment 

TSH (mU/L) 

TSH-20 

T4 (nmol/L) 

T3 (nmol/L) 

Tg (ng/mL) 

* p<0.05 

** p<O.OI 

Tg = Serum thyroglobulin 

Before treatment 

1.69 ± 0.09 

9.90 ± 0.77 

83.2 ± 2.9 

2.15±0.12 

13.9 ± 5.6 

D. Thyroid volume and TSH: 

Day7 

2.80 ± 0.32* 

14.94 ± 2.41 * 

77.6 ± 4.1 

1.97 ± 0.09 

22.2 ± 9.3 

During Treatment 

Day28 Day 90 

3.30 ± 0.33* 2.98 ± 0.50* 

18.84 ± 1.72** 16.33 ± 1.69* 

77.6 ± 3.8 78.9 ± 3.3 

2.39 ± 0.15 2.29 ± 0.10 

31.4±15.7* 23.3 ± 11.3 

Serum TSH and TSH-20 values rose significantly from baseline by day 7 and remained elevated 

on days 28 and 90. Unstimulated TSH increased approximately doubled on average and the 

greatest increase in unstimulated TSH grew by three fold during the study. This subject also had 

the greatest change in thyroid volume of 1.8 fold. Thyroid volume increased significantly from 

baseline by day 35 and remained elevated through day 90. The mean increase in thyroid volume 

was 37%. Changes in thyroid volume and unstimulated TSH were not correlated. Those subjects 

available for repeat thyroid volume determinations showed a return to baseline volume during an 
[lodine/046905) 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 5 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04 

average of 7.1 months post treatment. TSH remained persistently above initial baseline values in 

all subjects, with one exception whose TSH fell below baseline but remained in the middle of the 

established range of treatment. Data is shown in Figure 2 and Table 2. 

Figure 2: Thyroid volumes before, during and after treatment. Thyroid volume increased 

significantly after day 35 and enlarged slightly more after day 90. Thyroid volumes had returned 

to pretreatment values when remeasured at variable time intervals in seven subjects (mean 7.1 

months; range 0.5-16.1 months. Shown are the mean± SEM, *, p<0.05, ** p<0.01 

.;i 

25 1 

., 

E 

::3 15 

0 

> 

·~ 

•• 

-.( · 

10 ~--~~-L~~--~--~--~ 

Week 0 5 13 RECOVERY 

E. General observations: 

No subject developed hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or symptomatic thyroid enlargement. 

III. INVESTIGATORS' DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 

Serum inorganic iodide increased from a level of 2. 7 ± 1.0 J..Lg/dL to 101 ± 21 J..Lg/dL after ninety 

days of exposure. Protein bound iodide increased from 4.8 ± 0.5 J..Lg/dL to 27.7 ± 1.3 J..Lg/dL after 

ninety days of exposure. Urinary iodide increased from 0.276 ± 0.061 mg/day to 35 ± 4.4 mg/day 

after ninety days of exposure, a rise of approximately 150 fold. Radioactive iodine uptake 

dropped from 8-26% to below 2% after day 7 and remained below 2% through day 90. Mean 

serum T3 and T4 declined after 7 days, with T4 remaining below baseline and T3 recovering by 

the end of the treatment period. Serum TSH and TSH response to TRH rose after 7 days and 

remained elevated throughout the study. The average thyroid volume was increased by 37%. 

Neither hypo- nor hyper-thyroidism was found in any subject. For the 7 subjects available for 

repeat thyroid volume determinations on average 7.1 months after the study was concluded, the 

thyroid volume returned to baseline. This indicates that a reversible, TSH dependent thyroid 

enlargement occurs in response to increased iodine load from daily use of water purification 

tablets. 

This study is labeled qualitative as it is outside the parameters for a normal guideline study. It 

does provide useful information on the effects of excess iodine in humans, which include a form 

of reversible thyroid gland volume increase and decreases in T4 levels, along with an adaptive 
[Iodine/046905] 

change in T 3 levels. 

Subchronic (90-day) Oral Toxicity Study (non-rodents) (1995) I Page 6 of 6 

OPPTS 870.3150 

Study Profile version 07/04