ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OBESITY AND BRAFV600E MUTATION IN PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA: A SINGLE-CENTER RETROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Background: In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer has been continuously increasing, which is in line with the prevalent trend of obesity. Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between obesity and BRAFV600E mutation. Methods: The study collected clinical and demographic data of 140 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Statistical analyses included independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses, as well as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The mean BMI was significantly higher in the BRAFV600E-positive group than in the negative group (p<0.001). BMI was independently associated with BRAFV600E mutation in both univariate (p=0.007) and multivariate analyses (p=0.026). ROC analysis demonstrated that BMI had modest predictive value (p=0.003). Research has observed the existence of sex differences, with a higher proportion of males in the BRAFV600E-positive group (p=0.047). Among BRAFV600E-positive patients, males had higher BMI and were more frequently classified as overweight or obese (P < 0.001). However, sex was not identified as an independent predictor in multivariate analysis. No significant associations were found between BRAFV600E mutation and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, diabetes, or fatty liver disease. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the association between higher BMI and BRAFV600E mutation in patients with PTC.