MicroRNA‐222 and MicroRNA‐146b are tissue and circulating biomarkers of recurrent papillary thyroid cancer

• Published in: Cancer 2013-12, Vol.119 (24), p.4358-4365
• Main Authors: Lee, James C., Zhao, Jing Ting, Clifton‐Bligh, Roderick J., Gill, Anthony, Gundara, Justin S., Ip, Julian C., Glover, Anthony, Sywak, Mark S., Delbridge, Leigh W., Robinson, Bruce G., Sidhu, Stanley B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bioindicators; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Carcinoma - blood; Carcinoma - genetics; Carcinoma - pathology; Carcinoma, Papillary; Case-Control Studies; circulating biomarkers; Endocrinopathies; Female; Humans; Male; Malignant tumors; Medical sciences; microRNA; MicroRNAs - blood; MicroRNAs - genetics; Middle Aged; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - blood; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - genetics; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; papillary thyroid cancer; Prospective Studies; recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Thyroglobulin - blood; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Thyroid Neoplasms - blood; Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroid. Thyroid axis (diseases); Thyroidectomy - methods; tissue biomarkers; Tumors
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.28254

BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) persistence or recurrence and the need for long‐term surveillance can cause significant inconvenience and morbidity in patients. Currently, recurrence risk stratification is accomplished by using clinicopathologic factors, and serum thyroglobulin is the only commercially available marker for persistent or recurrent disease. The objective of this study was to determine microRNA (miRNA) expression in PTC and determine whether 1 or more miRNAs could be measured in plasma as a biomarker for recurrence. METHODS Patients with recurrent PTC (Rc‐PTC) and those without recurrence (NR‐PTC) were retrospectively recruited for a comparison of their tumor miRNA profiles. Patients with either newly diagnosed PTC or multinodular goiter who were undergoing total thyroidectomy were prospectively recruited for an analysis of preoperative and postoperative circulating miRNA levels. Healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. RESULTS MicroRNA‐222 and miR‐146b were over‐expressed 10.8‐fold and 8.9‐fold, respectively, in Rc‐PTC tumors compared with NR‐PTC tumors (P = .014 and P = .038, respectively). In plasma from preoperative PTC patients, levels of miR‐222 and miR‐146b were higher compared with the levels in plasma from healthy volunteers (P