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. 2024 Jun 18:11:1423305.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1423305. eCollection 2024.

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

Yue Hu #  1   2 , Chongxiang Xue #  3   4 , Shumeng Ren  2 , Lishuo Dong  5 , Jiaqi Gao  1   6 , Xiuyang Li  1
Affiliations

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

Yue Hu et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Cumulative 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.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to figure out the association between vitamin D level and the risk of TC.

Methods: A 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.

Results: Results 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)].

Conclusions: Individuals 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 registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=504417, identifier: CRD42024504417.

Keywords: 1; 25 (OH)D; meta-analysis; thyroid cancer; vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of included studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plots and pooled estimates of the effect for the meta-analysis of the standardized mean difference between the 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sensitivity analysis of the standardized mean difference between the 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot of the studies included in the meta-analysis of the standardized mean difference between the 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plots and pooled estimates of the effect for the meta-analysis of the ratio of means between the 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plots and pooled estimates of the effect for the meta-analysis of the standardized mean difference between the 1, 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Forest plots and pooled estimates of the effect for the meta-analysis of the ratio of means between the 1, 25 (OH)D levels in the patients with thyroid cancer and the controls.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Forest plots and pooled estimates of the effect for the meta-analysis of the association between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of thyroid cancer.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Sensitivity analysis of the association between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of thyroid cancer.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Dose-response relationship between 25 (OH)D levels and the odds ratio of thyroid cancer.
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