J Endocrinol Metab

Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, ISSN 1923-2861 print, 1923-287X online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Endocrinol Metab and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website https://www.jofem.org

Original Article

Volume 12, Number 2, April 2022, pages 66-72

Evaluation of Risk Factors for Malignancy in Patients With Thyroid Nodules

**Table 1.** Demographic, Clinical, and Laboratory Characteristics Comparison Between Study Groups
	Malignant nodules (n = 36)	Benign nodules (n = 45)	P value
^aData were expressed as mean (interquartile range) according to normality of distribution. ^bData were expressed in parentheses are percentages. ^cData were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. BMI: body mass index; WC: waist circumference; BFP: body fat percentage; FBG: fasting blood glucose; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance.
Age^a (years)	36.5 (24.5)	35 (13.5)	0.152
Sex^b			0.758
Male	6 (13.3%)	6 (16.7%)
Female	30 (86.7%)	39 (83.3%)
Hypertension^b	7 (19.4 %)	4 (9.1%)	0.208
Body weight^c (kg)	82.5 ± 18.2	76.33 ± 16.43	0.122
Height^a (m)	1.6 (0.12)	1.6 (0.06)	0.913
BMI^c (kg/m²)	31.59 ± 7.09	29.22 ± 5.6	0.107
WC^c (cm)	110.71 ± 16.21	102.74 ± 13.25	0.021
BFP^c	39.96 ± 8.95	36.69 ± 11.62	0.168
Thyroid volume^a (mL)	6.38 (27.41)	9.03 (14.65)	0.459
Largest dimension^a (cm)	2.8 (1.48)	2.54 (1.48)	0.251
FBG^a (mg/dL)	99 (25)	96.72(45)	0.704
Insulin^a (µIU/mL)	13.39 (10.29)	9.94 (9.05)	0.032
Insulin^c (log)	1.14 ± 0.23	1.001 ± 0.25	0.020
HOMA-IR^c	4.01 ± 1.93	2.97 ± 1.57	0.014

Table 1. Demographic, Clinical, and Laboratory Characteristics Comparison Between Study Groups

Malignant nodules (n = 36)

Benign nodules (n = 45)

P value

^aData were expressed as mean (interquartile range) according to normality of distribution. ^bData were expressed in parentheses are percentages. ^cData were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. BMI: body mass index; WC: waist circumference; BFP: body fat percentage; FBG: fasting blood glucose; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance.

Age^a (years)

36.5 (24.5)

35 (13.5)

0.152

Sex^b

0.758

Male

6 (13.3%)

6 (16.7%)

Female

30 (86.7%)

39 (83.3%)

Hypertension^b

7 (19.4 %)

4 (9.1%)

0.208

Body weight^c (kg)

82.5 ± 18.2

76.33 ± 16.43

0.122

Height^a (m)

1.6 (0.12)

1.6 (0.06)

0.913

BMI^c (kg/m²)

31.59 ± 7.09

29.22 ± 5.6

0.107

WC^c (cm)

110.71 ± 16.21

102.74 ± 13.25

0.021

BFP^c

39.96 ± 8.95

36.69 ± 11.62

0.168

Thyroid volume^a (mL)

6.38 (27.41)

9.03 (14.65)

0.459

Largest dimension^a (cm)

2.8 (1.48)

2.54 (1.48)

0.251

FBG^a (mg/dL)

99 (25)

96.72(45)

0.704

Insulin^a (µIU/mL)

13.39 (10.29)

9.94 (9.05)

0.032

Insulin^c (log)

1.14 ± 0.23

1.001 ± 0.25

0.020

HOMA-IR^c

4.01 ± 1.93

2.97 ± 1.57

0.014

**Table 2.** Pearson Correlation Between Nodule Size and Other Parameters
	All patients (n = 81)	Malignant nodules (n = 36)	Benign nodules (n = 45)
^aCorrelation is significant at the 0.05 level (two-tailed). ^bCorrelation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed); BMI: body mass index; WC: waist circumference; BFP: body fat percentage; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; FBG: fasting blood glucose.
Age (log)	0.29^a	0.01	0.18	0.290	0.43^b	0.003
Height (log)	0.22	0.06	0.25	0.137	0.17	0.283
Weight	0.41^b	0.001	0.34^a	0.044	0.54^b	0.001
BMI	0.34^b	0.002	0.23	0.176	0.54^b	0.001
WC	0.26^a	0.026	0.191	0.280	0.37^a	0.015
BFP	0.3^a	0.009	0.2	0.241	0.47^b	0.002
HOMA-IR	0.25^a	0.038	0.21	0.266	0.37^a	0.015
Insulin (log)	0.23	0.059	0.05	0.812	0.45^b	0.003
FBG (log)	0.05	0.661	0.05	0.814	0.07	0.676

Table 2. Pearson Correlation Between Nodule Size and Other Parameters

All patients (n = 81)

Malignant nodules (n = 36)

Benign nodules (n = 45)

P value

^aCorrelation is significant at the 0.05 level (two-tailed). ^bCorrelation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed); BMI: body mass index; WC: waist circumference; BFP: body fat percentage; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; FBG: fasting blood glucose.

Age (log)

0.29^a

0.01

0.18

0.290

0.43^b

0.003

Height (log)

0.22

0.06

0.25

0.137

0.17

0.283

Weight

0.41^b

0.001

0.34^a

0.044

0.54^b

0.001

BMI

0.34^b

0.002

0.23

0.176

0.54^b

0.001

0.26^a

0.026

0.191

0.280

0.37^a

0.015

BFP

0.3^a

0.009

0.2

0.241

0.47^b

0.002

HOMA-IR

0.25^a

0.038

0.21

0.266

0.37^a

0.015

Insulin (log)

0.23

0.059

0.05

0.812

0.45^b

0.003

FBG (log)

0.05

0.661

0.05

0.814

0.07

0.676

**Table 3.** Logistic Regression Analysis for Determination of Risk Factors of Malignancy in Thyroid Nodules
	B	SE	Wald	P value	Odds ratio	95% CI for odds ratio
HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; B: estimated coefficient; SE: standard error; CI: confidence interval. Variable(s) entered on step 1 backward Stepwise (Conditional) logistic regression analysis: insulin (Log), waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, age (log), body mass index, sex, body fat percentage.
HOMA-IR	0.328	0.148	4.921	0.027	1.389	1.039	1.856
Constant	-1.468	0.580	6.398	0.011	0.230

Table 3. Logistic Regression Analysis for Determination of Risk Factors of Malignancy in Thyroid Nodules

Wald

P value

Odds ratio

95% CI for odds ratio

Lower

Upper

HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; B: estimated coefficient; SE: standard error; CI: confidence interval. Variable(s) entered on step 1 backward Stepwise (Conditional) logistic regression analysis: insulin (Log), waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, age (log), body mass index, sex, body fat percentage.

HOMA-IR

0.328

0.148

4.921

0.027

1.389

1.039

1.856

Constant

-1.468

0.580

6.398

0.011

0.230