title: Preoperative Serum Thyrotropin to Thyroglobulin Ratio Is Effective for Thyroid Nodule Evaluation in Euthyroid Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to assess the efficiency of the serum thyrotropin to thyroglobulin ratio for thyroid nodule evaluation in euthyroid patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis was performed for 400 previously untreated cases presenting with thyroid nodules. Thyroid function was tested with commercially available radioimmunoassays. The receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine cutoff values. The efficacy of the thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio and thyroid-stimulating hormone for thyroid nodule evaluation was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and odds ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve was 0.746 for the thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio and 0.659 for thyroid-stimulating hormone. With a cutoff point value of 24.97 IU/g for the thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were 78.9%, 60.8%, 75.5%, 2.01, and 0.35, respectively. The odds ratio for the thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio indicating malignancy was 5.80. With a cutoff point value of 1.525 µIU/mL for thyroid-stimulating hormone, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were 74.0%, 53.2%, 70.8%, 1.58, and 0.49, respectively. The odds ratio indicating malignancy for thyroid-stimulating hormone was 3.23.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing preoperative serum thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio is a risk factor for thyroid carcinoma, and the correlation of the thyrotropin:thyroglobulin ratio to malignancy is higher than that for serum thyroid-stimulating hormone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhongyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhuming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China zhangquan@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin
keywords: thyroglobulin; thyroid carcinoma; thyroid function test; thyroid nodule evaluation; thyrotropin