PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF GLUT-1 EXPRESSION IN THE HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. Analysis of GLUT1 levels as a prognostic marker for highly differentiated thyroid carcinoma.MATERIAL AND METHODS. The expression levels of GLUT-1, NIS, thyroglobulin and the presence of BRAF mutation were analyzed in 32 patients with highly differentiated thyroid cancer from the Department of Surgical Endocrinology at the Research Institute for Surgery and Emergency Medicine of “Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University”.RESULTS. There was a trend to increased levels of GLUT-1 in patients with regional or intra-organ metastases or peripheral invasion. This suggests that increased expression of GLUT-1 is found in proliferatively active cells. In our study, the expression level of GLUT-1 was independent of the level of NIS, thyroglobulin and the presence of BRAF mutation. Thus, the level of expression of GLUT-1 can be considered as an independent factor of the prognosis of the course of highly differentiated thyroid carcinoma.CONCLUSION. The level of expression of GLUT-1 could potentially be used as a prognostic marker in highly differentiated thyroid cancer.

Keywords

• highly differentiated thyroid carcinoma
• glut-1
• prognostic marker
• aggressive course