title: Serum biomarkers of papillary thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify serum biomarkers of papillary thyroid cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective analysis was performed of banked tumor and serum specimens from 99 patients with thyroid masses. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure levels of five serum proteins previously demonstrated to be up-regulated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC): angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), cytokeratin 19 (CK-19), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), chitinase 3 like-1 (YKL-40), and galectin-3 (GAL-3). Serum levels were compared between patients with PTC and those with benign tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 99 patients were enrolled in the study (27 men, 72 women), with a median age of 54 years. Forty-three patients had PTC and 58 cases were benign tumors. There were no statistically significant differences when comparing all five different biomarkers between PTC and other benign thyroid tumors. The p-values were 0.94, 0.48, 0.72, 0.48, and 0.90 for YKL-40, Gal-3, CK19, TIMP-1, and Ang-1, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of four of the five proteins were elevated in patients with thyroid masses relative to normal values. However, the difference between benign and PTC was not significant. Two of the markers (Gal-3 & TIMP-1) displayed a greater potential difference, which may warrant further investigation. This study suggests that other serum markers should be sought. This is the first study to investigate potential serum biomarkers based on over-expressed proteins in thyroid cancer versus benign pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, 1278 Tower Rd,, B3H 2Y9, Halifax, N, S,, Canada. drrobhart@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Fawaz M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Makki
authors.forename: S Mark
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shahnavaz
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallant
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trites
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inglis
authors.forename: Devanand M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000097:blood; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D015415:Biomarkers; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D037502:Galectin 3; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053539:Keratin-19; D037102:Lectins; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1