Comparative Study of the Level of Inflammatory Factors of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and Reactive Protein C in Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the level of inflammatory factors of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and reactive protein C in benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Material and Methods: In this case-control study, patients who were referred because of an enlarged thyroid gland were selected, patients who had undergone surgery for the thyroid nodule were included in the study. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and reactive protein C were measured before surgery in patients who were candidates for thyroid surgery. The histopathological records of patients were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant cases had a cytological evaluation of thyroid nodules by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The mean of ESR / CRP in both groups was compared using an independent t-test (p>0.05). Results: In malignant tumor type, in all patients, with Pill (PTC), analyzes in the malignant group showed a significant difference between the mean ESR / CRP in both groups with and without thyroid history. Sub-analyzes in the malignant group were significantly different between the mean ESR / CRP in both groups with and without thyroid histories (p=0.009) (40.16 ± 28.81). The association between ESR and CRP, ESR / CRP and tumor size, ESR / CRP and age in each group as well as in the whole patients were evaluated using Pearson correlation test, which showed a positive association between ESR age and ESR (p=0.024, r=0.375). In the malignant group, a negative correlation was found between the age and the CRP rate (p=0.027, r=-0.441), and in the total patients between the age and the rate (ES=0.043, r=-0.256). Conclusion: Factors such as ESR and CRP, which are considered acute phase reactors and their levels increase in acute inflammatory conditions, may not have a significant increase in chronic inflammatory conditions and malignancies.

C-Reactive Protein: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, False Test Results and a Novel Diagnostic Algorithm for Clinicians

“…Increased hsCRP has been reported as a marker in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC), but other data have demonstrated that CRP may not a have significant increase nor importance in chronic PTC. Additionally, a study found that higher preoperative CRP values have a robust prognostic impact on recurrence-free survival in differentiated thyroid carcinoma cases, and higher preoperative CRP levels were linked to age ≥ 55 years and T3 + T4 [ 884 , 885 , 886 ]. Moreover, hsCRP can be slightly elevated in patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism, and the marker can be elevated in symptomatic conditions, while another study found no significant differences between patients and healthy controls [ 887 , 888 , 889 ].…”