Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29855783›Full record

ArticleEndocrine2018

Is serum TSH a biomarker of thyroid carcinoma in patients residing in a mildly iodine-deficient area?

Kristine Zøylner Swan, Viveque Egsgaard Nielsen, Christian Godballe, Jens Faunø Thrane, Marie Riis Mortensen, Sten Schytte, Henrik Baymler Pedersen, Peer Christiansen, Steen Joop Bonnema

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In one paragraph

Article in Endocrine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Kristine Zøylner SwanDepartment of Oto-rhino-laryngology (ORL) Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. kristineswan@dadlnet.dk.
Viveque Egsgaard NielsenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
Christian GodballeDepartment of ORL Head & Neck Surgery, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløws Vej 4, 5000, Odense C, Denmark.
Jens Faunø ThraneDepartment of Oto-rhino-laryngology (ORL) Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Marie Riis MortensenDepartment of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 6, 5000, Odense C, Denmark.
Sten SchytteDepartment of Oto-rhino-laryngology (ORL) Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Henrik Baymler PedersenDepartment of ORL Head & Neck Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
Peer ChristiansenDepartment of Plastic and Breast surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Steen Joop BonnemaDepartment of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 6, 5000, Odense C, Denmark.
Aarhus University Hospital · DKOdense University Hospital · DKAalborg University Hospital · DKAarhus University · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo investigate the association between the pre-operative serum TSH (s-TSH) level and differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in a mildly iodine-deficient area.

methodsPatients undergoing surgery for thyroid nodular disease (TND) were included from three tertiary surgical departments. Data were collected from a national thyroid surgery database (THYKIR) and from patient charts. Individuals with overtly coexisting thyroid disorders were excluded for subgroup analyses. Patients were compared with the Danish background population, employing previous data from DanThyr, a study initiated to monitor the iodine fortification program in Denmark.

resultsNine-hundred ninety-eight patients [cases/controls: 265/733; female/male: 794/204; age (mean ± SD): 51 ± 15 years] were included. S-TSH was significantly higher in the DTC group [median (IQR): 1.3 (0.9-1.9 mIU/L)] compared with the benign TND group [0.9 (0.6-1.5 mIU/L)] (p < 0.0001). The median s-TSH in the background population was similar to that found among DTC patients (p = 1.00), but markedly higher than the s-TSH level in the benign TND group (p < 0.0001). There was no association between s-TSH and DTC disease stage (p = 0.08-0.87).

conclusionss-TSH was significantly higher in patients with DTC than in those with benign TND. However, this difference can be explained by abnormally lower s-TSH level in the latter group, probably caused by subtle nodular functional autonomy. Due to the huge overlap and the small difference in median s-TSH between patients with benign and malignant TND, s-TSH is not suitable as a biomarker of DTC in a clinical setting.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBiomarkersCarcinomaCase-Control StudiesDenmarkFemaleGeographyHumansIodineMaleMiddle AgedResidence CharacteristicsRisk FactorsThyroid NeoplasmsThyrotropinBiomarkersIodineThyrotropinDiagnosisPrognosisThyroid carcinomaThyroid nodulesTSH

Identifiers

PMID29855783
OpenAlexW2805444701

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.