title: Survivin delta Ex3 overexpression in thyroid malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyroid cancer incidence has increased significantly during the past decades and is the most common type of endocrine malignancy. Many factors in thyroid cancers were studied as independent predictors of a poor prognosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to evaluate survivin expression - BIRC5 and its splice variants: survivin delta Ex3 and survivin 2B in benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thyroid tissues samples from a group of 50 patients consisting of: 29 patients with thyroid cancers (including medullary, papillary, follicular and undifferentiated types), as well as from 21 patients with non-cancerous thyroid tissues (including: 11 benign thyroid lesions and 10 healthy thyroid samples).
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis of the survivin gene expression and evaluation of the level of splice variants were performed using quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant higher level of expression of survivin gene - BIRC5 was detected in thyroid malignant nodules, when compared with benign lesions and healthy thyroid samples. Moreover, the comparison of survivin relative expression in different staged tumors (pT1, pT3, and pT4) revealed a much higher amount of BIRC5 transcripts in tumor tissues of pT3/pT4. The comparison of survivin expression between benign thyroid nodules and healthy thyroid did not reveal significant differences. Importantly, high expression rate of the survivin delta Ex3 splice variant characterized thyroid carcinomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that survivin, especially survivin delta Ex3 splice variant being overexpress, is a characteristic feature of thyroid malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waligórska-Stachura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrusiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawicka-Gutaj
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Gastroenterological and Endocrine Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biczysko
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubiczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czarnywojtek
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wrotkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruchała
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077022:Survivin; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D000077022:Survivin