Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41549160›Full record

SynthesisClinical rheumatology2026

Unraveling the connection and pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and thyroid cancer: integrative meta-analysis, Mendelian randomization, and transcriptomic insights.

Qi Sun, Huixian Chen, Shu Liu

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical rheumatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

3 authors.

Qi SunDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Huixian ChenDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. m15261490126@163.com.
Shu LiuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. yolandaliu54@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4649-4400

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the association and shared pathogenic mechanisms between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and thyroid cancer (TC) using an integrative multi-omics framework.

methodsA meta-analysis was performed to quantify the incidence of TC in SLE patients. Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was applied to infer causality. Transcriptomic datasets were analyzed to identify an SLE-associated gene signature (SLEscore) and assess its prognostic value in TC. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted to validate protein expression of SLEscore genes in thyroid tissues from TC patients with and without SLE.

resultsA meta-analysis demonstrated a significantly increased standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of TC in SLE patients (SIR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.35-2.04). MR analysis revealed a unidirectional causal effect of SLE on TC in European populations (OR = 1.291; 95% CI: 1.014-1.642; P = 0.037), but no significant association in East Asian cohorts. The SLEscore, comprising four downregulated genes (IFITM1, RAP1GAP, MT1A, ALAS2), effectively stratified TC patients into high- and low-risk groups with distinct survival outcomes. These subgroups showed significant differences in pathway activation, immune cell infiltration, immune gene expression, tumor mutational burden, somatic mutation profiles, and predicted drug sensitivity (all P < 0.05). IHC confirmed lower protein levels of all four genes in SLE-TC tumor tissues, consistent with transcriptomic findings.

conclusionThis multi-omics analysis supports a causal link between SLE and TC in European populations and identifies the SLEscore as a potential prognostic biomarker, offering new opportunities for precision risk assessment and targeted management in SLE-associated TC.

Indexed as

Lupus Erythematosus, SystemicThyroid NeoplasmsTranscriptomeHumansMendelian Randomization AnalysisPrognosisIntegrative analysisMendelian randomizationMulti-omicsPrognostic biomarkerSystemic lupus erythematosusThyroid cancer

Identifiers

PMID41549160

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.