title: Quantitative mRNA expression analysis of selected genes in patients with early-stage hypothyroidism induced by treatment with iodine-131.
abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the molecular markers indicative of early-stage hypothyroidism induced by treatment with iodine-131, in order to assist in further investigations of radio iodine‑induced hypothyroidism. A total of 59 patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (male/female, 16/43; median age, 46.4 years) and 27 healthy subjects (male/female, 7/21; median age, 44.6 years) were included in the present study. All patients were treated with appropriate doses of iodine‑131 and, three months following treatment, the patients were subdivided into two groups: A group with early‑stage hypothyroidism symptoms, and a group with non‑early‑stage hypothyroidism, including euthyroid patients and patients remaining with hyperthyroidism. Tissue samples from the patients and healthy subjects were collected by fine needle biopsies, and the mRNA expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2), nuclear factor (NF)‑κB, Ku70, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), early growth response 1 (Egr‑1), TP53 and ataxia telangiectasia mutated were analyzed using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction prior to iodine‑131 treatment. The association of the variation of target genes with susceptibility to early‑stage hypothyroidism was analyzed. Compared with normal subjects, the mRNA expression levels of Ku70 (0.768, vs. 3.304, respectively; P<0.001) and EGFR (0.859, vs. 1.752, respectively; P<0.05) were significantly higher, whereas those of NF‑κB (0.884, vs. 0.578, respectively; P<0.05) and Bcl‑2 (1.235, vs. 0.834, respectively; P<0.05) were lower in the hyperthyroid patients. Following treatment with iodine‑131, 30 of the 59 (50.8%) patients with hyperthyroidism were diagnosed with early‑stage hypothyroidism, and in the early‑stage hypothyroidism group, the mRNA expression levels of Bcl‑2 were significantly decreased (P<0.05), whereas those of Egr‑1 (P<0.05) were significantly increased, compared with the non‑early‑stage hypothyroidism group. The association between the changes in the expression levles of Bcl‑2 and Egr‑1 and susceptibility to early‑stage hypothyroidism was supported by multivariate regression analysis. No significant changes in the expression levels of the other target genes were detected. The opposing changes in the mRNA expression levels of Bcl‑2 and Egr‑1 in patients with early‑stage hypothyroidism indicates their potential as prognostic markers of early-stage hypothyroidism induced by iodine-131 treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Weixiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuxuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C497325:EGR1 protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger