title: Association of positive thyroid auto antibodies with thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: The association between thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid cancer was carried out in a series of solitary thyroid nodules submitted to fine-needle aspiration cytology and subsequent histopathology. US guided FNACs were obtained from 295 unselected consecutive patients with single thyroid nodules and positive (98) or negative (197) serum anti-thyroid antibody. Cytological results were classified in three classes of increased risk of malignancy: low risk (class II); indeterminate risk (class III); and suspect or malignant (class IV). A higher prevalence of class III (29.6%, p<0.05) and class IV (17.34%, p<0.05) and lower prevalence of class II (52.06%, p<0.01) were found in ATA+ nodules respectively. By multivariate logistic regression analysis ATA+ conferred a significant risk (odds ratio: 1.97 & 95% confidence interval: 0.97-3.97) for class IV cytology independently for age and sex. In 53 patients where thyroidectomy was carried out, thyroid cancer was found in (86.66%) patients with class IV nodules, in (19.4%) of class III nodules (all ATA-) and in none of 7 class II nodules. Histologically proven thyroid cancer (mostly papillary) was then observed in a higher proportion (13.2%) of ATA+, when compared with ATA- nodules (8.1%, p>0.01), but the significance of this finding is limited by the low number of class II nodules operated on. The presence of ATA+ confers an increased risk of suspicious or malignant cytology in solitary thyroid nodules.
authors.affiliation: Upazila Health Complex, Tongibari, Munsiganj, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jahan
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies