Frontiers in Nutrition (Jun 2024)

Association between vitamin D status and thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis

  • Yue Hu,
  • Yue Hu,
  • Chongxiang Xue,
  • Chongxiang Xue,
  • Shumeng Ren,
  • Lishuo Dong,
  • Jiaqi Gao,
  • Jiaqi Gao,
  • Xiuyang Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1423305
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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BackgroundCumulative evidence has suggested that vitamin D deficiency is related with an increased susceptibility to various types of cancers. However, the association between vitamin D and thyroid cancer (TC) has remained to be unknown. Thus, there has been an urgent need for a meta-analysis to summarize existing evidence on vitamin D levels and the risk of TC.ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aimed to figure out the association between vitamin D level and the risk of TC.MethodsA systematic search was performed for eligible articles on the association between vitamin D and TC based on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Outcomes were the vitamin D level of cases with TC and the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in cases with TC comparing with the controls. The effect measures included standardized mean difference (SMD), ratio of means (RoM), and odds ratio (OR). A dose-response meta-analysis was performed to assess the correlation between vitamin D level and the risk of TC. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity. And publication bias was evaluated through Begg's and Egger's tests.ResultsResults of the meta-analysis revealed lower levels of vitamin D in TC cases comparing with those in control [SMD = −0.25, 95% CI: (−0.38, −0.12); RoM = 0.87, 95% CI: (0.81, 0.94)] and the levels of 1,25 (OH)D in cases with TC were also lower than controls [SMD = −0.49, 95% CI: (−0.80, −0.19); RoM = 0.90, 95% CI: (0.85, 0.96)]. And vitamin D deficiency was associated with the increased risk of TC [OR = 1.49, 95% CI: (1.23, 1.80)]. Additionally, results from the dose-response meta-analysis showed that there is a 6% increase in the risk of TC for each 10 ng/ml decrease in 25 (OH)D levels [OR = 0.94; 95% CI: (0.89, 0.99)].ConclusionsIndividuals with TC had lower levels of vitamin D compared to controls, and vitamin D deficiency was correlated with an increase risk of TC.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=504417, identifier: CRD42024504417.

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