2017;26(4):701-12. associated with the entire spectrum of thyroid diseases among women, but only with overt hyperthyroidism and overt hypothyroidism in men. Conclusion The distribution of positive TPOAb across sex, race, age, and thyroid function in the ELSA-Brasil study is aligned with the worldwide prevalence of positive TPOAb reported in iodine-sufficient areas. In women, the presence of TPOAb was related to the entire spectrum of thyroid dysfunction, while in men, it was only related to the occurrence of overt thyroid disease. Keywords: Tthyroiditis, autoimmune; Graves disease; hypothyroidism, main; deficiency, TSH; autoimmune diseases INTRODUCTION Thyroid dysfunction is usually emerging as one of the most common diseases in developed countries (1-5). Even though prevalence of overt disease (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism) is lower than 2%, subclinical disease is usually far more prevalent (5-10). Subclinical hypothyroidism may be present in 4%-15% of the population (11) and is seen mainly in older women (5,6,12). Autoimmune thyroid disease has emerged as the main cause of thyroid dysfunction after the frequency of goiter caused by iodine deficiency decreased following compulsory salt iodination in developing countries (13-16). Worldwide, the most common conditions associated with thyroid dysfunction are overt and subclinical hypothyroidism (10,17-19) due to autoimmune Hashimotos thyroiditis (20-22). Among other features, the presence of serum antithyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) is the main diagnostic element of this condition (23-25). The prevalence of positive TPOAb across race, gender, and age is still not well established in the general populace in Brazil. Therefore, we aimed in this study to describe the prevalence and distribution of TPOAb according to sex, age strata, and presence of thyroid dysfunction using baseline data from your Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional analysis using baseline HSPA1A data from your ELSA-Brasil, a prospective cohort study. The study design and cohort profile have been published elsewhere (26). Briefly, the study cohort comprised 15,105 active and retired civil servant employees from six different Brazilian cities (Salvador, Vitria, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, S?o Paulo, and Porto Alegre) aged between 35 LY2940680 (Taladegib) to 74 years at baseline. Information on sociodemographic data, personal and family history of diseases, lifestyle factors, mental health, cognitive status, and occupational exposure LY2940680 (Taladegib) were assessed from August 2008 to December 2010 (27). The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes along with factors associated with these conditions. Nonclassical risk factors possibly LY2940680 (Taladegib) associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as thyroid function, were also measured. The institutional ethics committee approved the protocol of the study, and written consent was obtained from all individuals. Thyroid function Thyroid hormone assessments were performed on every participant of the study at baseline. Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured using a third-generation immunoenzymatic assay (Siemens, Deerfield, IL, USA) in serum obtained from centrifuged venous blood samples taken after an overnight fast. FT4 levels were only evaluated in participants with abnormal TSH levels. In this study, the reference range was 0.4-4.0 mIU/L for TSH and 0.8-1.9 ng/dL for FT4, which is similar to the reference range used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (5) and recommended by Surks and cols. (2). Levels of TPOAb were measured by electrochemiluminescence (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) and LY2940680 (Taladegib) were considered positive when 34 IU/mL. Participants in the ELSA-Brasil were classified into five categories of thyroid function according to levels of TSH and FT4 (when TSH was abnormal) and information regarding the use LY2940680 (Taladegib) of medication to treat thyroid disorders: overt hyperthyroidism (low serum TSH and high FT4 levels or use of medication to treat hyperthyroidism); subclinical hyperthyroidism (low serum TSH, normal FT4 levels, and no use of thyroid medication or thyroid hormone); euthyroidism (normal TSH, normal FT4.