title: Insulin resistance in nodular thyroid disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insulin had been shown to have a mitogenic effect on thyroid cell cultures. The aim of this study was to investigate insulin resistance in patients with euthyroid nodular goiter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients with nodular thyroid disease and 83 healthy controls were included in the study. Both the patient and the control group were euthyroid, euglycemic and normotensive. None of the study subjects had risk factors for insulin resistance. All the study subjects were evaluated by serum insulin levels and biochemical parameters and thyroid ultrasound. All subjects with thyroid nodules greater than 1cm (n = 36) were offered to undergo thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups were similar with respect to age, gender, BMI, waist circumference, serum lipid levels, serum fT3, fT4 and TSH levels. But HOMA was found to be significantly higher in the patient group (p: 0.007) and thyroid volume was significantly greater in the patient group (p = 0.03). In the patient group there was a significant correlation between HOMA and nodule volume (p < 0.001) while there was not a significant correlation between HOMA and number of thyroid nodules. Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 3 of the 36 patients (8.33 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insulin resistance may induce increased thyroid proliferation and nodule volume and nodule formation. Therefore, insulin resistance may be a risk factor for euthyoid nodular goiter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Aydın State Hospital, Aydın, Turkey. drhamiyetyilmaz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hamiyet Yilmaz
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yasar
authors.forename: Ozden
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ertuğrul
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ertuğrul
authors.forename: Derun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ertuğrul
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine