Table 1. Preoperative thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) mRNA expression levels and clinical features of 70 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients.

Variable	No. of Patients	Mean TSHR mRNA Expression Level ± SD	P Value
Sex
Male	17	2.34 ± 1.41	0.207
Female	53	2.13 ± 0.11
Age, years
< 45	35	1.97 ± 0.92	0.005*
≥ 45	35	2.39 ± 1.39
Histological type
PTC	70	2.18 ± 0.14	0.002*
BTD	34	1.46 ± 0.15
Tumor size, cm
≤ 1	37	2.01 ± 0.19	0.349
> 1	33	2.32 ± 0.21
Capsular invasion
Yes	17	2.69 ± 0.38	0.041*
No	53	2.01 ± 0.14
Lymph node metastasis
Yes	44	2.40 ± 0.19	0.033*
No	26	1.81 ± 0.20
No. of cancer foci
Single	54	2.08 ± 0.15	0.242
Multiple	16	2.53 ± 0.34
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Yes	24	1.82 ± 0.15	0.063
No	46	2.37 ± 0.20
BRAFV600E gene mutation
Mutant	51	2.38 ± 0.17	0.012*
Wildtype	19	1.63 ± 0.23

TSHR: thyroid stimulating hormone receptor; PTC: Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma; BTD: benign thyroid disease.