Vitamin D is an immunomodulator and may affect autoimmune thyroid diseases. Vitamin D has also been shown to influence thyrocytes directly by attenuating thyrotropin (TSH)-stimulated iodide uptake and cell growth. However, it is unclear how vitamin D status is related to TSH at the population level. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between vitamin D status and TSH levels according to thyroid autoantibodies in a population-based health survey in Thailand.
Methods:
A total of 2582 adults, aged 15–98 years, were randomly selected according to the geographical region from the Thailand 4th National Health Examination Survey sample. By study design, the sexes were equally represented. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], TSH, the thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and the thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) were measured in all subjects.
Results:
The mean age was 55.0±0.4 (SE) years. In subjects positive for serum TgAb, serum TSH levels were higher, whereas total serum 25(OH)D levels were lower. In addition, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in TgAb-positive subjects was significantly higher than that observed in TPOAb- and TgAb-negative subjects, whether based on cutoff values of 20 or 30 ng/mL: 8.3% vs. 5.6%, p<0.05; or 47.6% vs. 42.0%, p<0.05, respectively. However, vitamin D status was not associated with positive TPOAb and/or TgAb after controlling for sex and age. To explore the probable interaction between vitamin D status and age on serum TSH, analyses were performed according to age tertiles; it was found that higher 25(OH)D levels were independently associated with lower TSH, but only in subjects in the lowest age tertile.
Conclusions:
This population-based study showed that high vitamin D status in younger individuals is associated with low circulating TSH.
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