Could <i>SLC26A7</i> Be a Promising Marker for Preoperative Diagnosis of High-Grade Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma?
Sergei E. Titov,
Evgeniya S. Kozorezova,
Sergei A. Lukyanov,
Sergei V. Sergiyko,
Pavel S. Demenkov,
Yulia A. Veryaskina,
Sergey L. Vorobyev,
Ilya V. Sleptsov,
Roman A. Chernikov,
Natalia I. Timofeeva,
Svetlana V. Barashkova,
Elena L. Lushnikova,
Anna A. Uspenskaya,
Anna V. Zolotoukho,
Olga V. Romanova,
Igor F. Zhimulev
Affiliations
Sergei E. Titov
Department of the Structure and Function of Chromosomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Evgeniya S. Kozorezova
National Center of Clinical Morphological Diagnostics, Saint Petersburg 192283, Russia
Sergei A. Lukyanov
Department of General and Pediatric Surgery, South Ural State Medical University, Chelyabinsk 454092, Russia
Sergei V. Sergiyko
Department of General and Pediatric Surgery, South Ural State Medical University, Chelyabinsk 454092, Russia
Pavel S. Demenkov
Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Yulia A. Veryaskina
Department of the Structure and Function of Chromosomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Sergey L. Vorobyev
National Center of Clinical Morphological Diagnostics, Saint Petersburg 192283, Russia
Ilya V. Sleptsov
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
Roman A. Chernikov
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
Natalia I. Timofeeva
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
Svetlana V. Barashkova
National Center of Clinical Morphological Diagnostics, Saint Petersburg 192283, Russia
Elena L. Lushnikova
Department of Molecular Pathology, Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia
Anna A. Uspenskaya
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
Anna V. Zolotoukho
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia
Olga V. Romanova
N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow 115478, Russia
Igor F. Zhimulev
Department of the Structure and Function of Chromosomes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Background/Objectives: A modern classification distinguishes between two nosological entities posing an intermediate risk between differentiated and anaplastic carcinoma: poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinoma. There are currently few studies searching for the preoperative molecular genetic markers of high-grade papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC HG), primarily because of a recent WHO reclassification and singling out of a separate entity: high-grade follicular cell-derived nonanaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Therefore, this work was aimed at identifying PTC HG-specific microRNAs and mRNAs that reliably distinguish them from differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma in preoperative cytology specimens (fine-needle aspiration biopsies). Methods: A molecular genetic profile (expression levels of 14 genes and eight microRNAs) was studied in 110 cytology specimens from patients with PTC: 13 PTCs HG and 97 PTCs without features of HG. Results: Of the examined eight microRNAs and 14 genes, significant differences in the expression levels between the PTC and PTC HG groups were revealed for genes SLC26A7, TFF3, and TPO. Only one gene (SLC26A7) proved to be crucial for detecting PTC HG. It showed the largest area under the ROC curve (0.816) in differentiation between the PTC and PTC HG groups and was the key element of the decision tree by ensuring 54% sensitivity and 87.6% specificity. Conclusions: Early preoperative diagnosis of PTC HG in patients with early stages of this cancer type will allow clinicians to modify a treatment strategy toward a larger surgery volume and lymph node dissection and may provide indications for subsequent radioactive iodine therapy.
