Serum microRNA profiling to distinguish papillary thyroid cancer from benign thyroid masses.
OBJECTIVE
Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is increasing in incidence. Fine needle aspiration is the gold standard for diagnosis, but results can be indeterminate. Identifying tissue and serum biomarkers, like microRNA, is therefore desirable. We sought to identify miRNA that is differentially expressed in the serum of patients with PTC.


METHODS
Serum miRNA was quantified in 31 female thyroidectomy patients: 13 with benign disease and 18 with PTC. qPCR results were compared for significant fold-changes in 175 miRNAs, against a pooled control.


RESULTS
128 miRNA qualified for analysis. There were identifiable fold-changes in miRNA levels between benign and control, and between PTC and control. There were statistically significant fold changes in the level of four miRNAs between benign and PTC: hsa-miR-146a-5p and hsa-miR-199b-3p were down-regulated, while hsa-let7b-5p and hsa-miR-10a-5p were up-regulated.


CONCLUSIONS
MicroRNA is differentially expressed in the serum of patients with PTC. Serum miRNA has the potential to aid in thyroid cancer diagnosis.
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. elise.graham@dal.ca.
M Elise R
ME
Graham
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. drrobhart@gmail.com.
Robert D
RD
Hart
NRC Human Health Therapeutics, Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, Canada. susan.douglas@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Susan
S
Douglas
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. f50_fawaz@hotmail.com.
Fawaz M
FM
Makki
NRC Human Health Therapeutics, Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, Canada. Dev.Pinto@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Devanand
D
Pinto
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. butler.angela@rocketmail.com.
Angela L
AL
Butler
Division of Anatomical Pathology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. martin.bullock@cdha.nshealth.ca.
Martin
M
Bullock
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. mhrigby@dal.ca.
Matthew H
MH
Rigby
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. jonathan.trites@cdha.nshealth.ca.
Jonathan R B
JR
Trites
Division of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. smarktaylor@eastlink.ca.
S Mark
SM
Taylor
NRC Human Health Therapeutics, Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, Canada. rama.singh@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Rama
R
Singh
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C547183:MIRN10 microRNA, human; C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C531408:mirn199 microRNA, human