BACKGROUND: The relationship between thyroglobulinant antibodies (TgAb), thyroid microsomal antibodies thyroidperoxidaseantibodies (TPOAb) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains controversial. Based on pathology, this study aimed to explore the relationship between thyroid autoantibodies (TAb), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and PTC. METHODS: A retrospective study of 2132 patients with thyroid nodules diagnosed with non-autoimmunethyroiddiseases (AITD) was performed and categorized into a single TgAb- or TPOAb-positive group (TgAb+ or TPOAb+), a double-positive group of TgAb and TPOAb (TAb+), and a double-negative group of TgAb and TPOAb double negative group (TAb-). RESULTS: Patients with PTC had a higher rate of TAb+ (10.24 vs. 4.89%; P=0.000) and higher TSH levels (1.83±0.07 vs. 1.39±0.03 mIU/L; P=0.000) compared to patients with benign thyroid nodules.Patients in the TAb+ group had a higher ratio of TSH levels to PTC than patients in the TAb- group ( 1.91±0.17 vs. 1.47±0.03 mIU/L; P=0.011) (41.35 vs. 22.08%; P=0.000). Among all PTC patients, TAb+ patients had higher TSH levels (2.57±0.35 vs. 1.79±0.07 mIU/L; P=0.032), a higher rate of lymph node metastasis (52.73 vs. 36.51%; P=0.026), and a lower rate of microscopic PTC (16.36 vs. 39.51%; P =0.001). In regression analyses, PTC was associated with TgAb+ (OR=1.921,CI1.431C2.580; P=0.000), TPOAb+ (OR=1.945,CI1.195C3.165; P=0.007), TAb+ (OR=2.393,CI1.635C3.501; P=0.000) and high TSH levels (>1.35 mIU/L) (OR=1.742,CI1.089C2.786;P=0.021) were associated. CONCLUSION: Positive serum TgAb or TPOAb is an independent risk factor for papillary thyroid carcinoma regardless of the presence of AITD. The degree of PTC risk was higher when TgAb and TPOAb coexisted than when TgAb or TPOAb were present singly, and was associated with high levels of TSH and high PTC tumor stage.