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The effect of vitamin D supplementation on thyroid autoantibody levels in the treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis: a systematic review and a meta-analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

Although observational studies suggested that vitamin D plays a role in autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), intervention trials yielded inconsistent findings. We therefore conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of Vitamin D on decreasing autoantibodies in patients with AIT.

Method

We identified all studies that assessed the changes of TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab in patients with AIT under the treatment of vitamin D from PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP Database.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this systematic review representing a total of 344 patients with AIT. The results showed that Vitamin D supplementation significantly dropped TPO-Ab titers [three studies, random effects standardized mean difference (SMD): −1.11, 95% CI −1.52 to −0.70, P < 0.01] at six months, but not at no more than 3 months [random effects SMD: −0.12, 95% CI: −0.69 to 0.44, P = 0.67]. As compared with control group, participants who received vitamin D supplementation demonstrated significantly lower Tg-Ab [random effects SMD: −0.55, 95% CI: −1.05 to −0.04, P = 0.033]. In addition, no serious adverse effect was reported.

Conclusions

The current evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation could decrease serum TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab titers of patients with AIT in the short-term (about six months). More high quality studies are needed to further confirm the effects, especially the long-term effects of Vitamin D supplementation on thyroid autoantibodies levels in the treatment of AIT.

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Author contributions

S.W. contributed to literature search and drafting the manuscript. P.W. contributed to literature search. Z.Z, and Y.Z. checked the search. K.W. contributed to the study conception and final approval of the manuscript. K.W. is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

    Su Wang, Yaping Wu, Zhihua Zuo, Yijing Zhao & Kun Wang

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  1. Su Wang
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  2. Yaping Wu
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  3. Zhihua Zuo
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  4. Yijing Zhao
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Correspondence to Kun Wang.

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Wang, S., Wu, Y., Zuo, Z. et al. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on thyroid autoantibody levels in the treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Endocrine 59, 499–505 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-018-1532-5

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