title: Thyroid-Specific Genes Expression Uncovered Age-Related Differences in Pediatric Thyroid Carcinomas.
abstract: Despite a more advanced stage of disease at presentation, a better response to radioiodine (RAI) therapy and a reduced overall mortality have been reported in pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in comparison to adult DTC. Few studies suggested that the better response to RAI therapy in pediatric patients might be associated with an increased expression of NIS. However, a marked heterogeneity within the pediatric group has been recognized. Children (<10 years old) usually present a more aggressive disease than adolescents (≥10-18 years old). By analyzing the expression of thyroid-specific genes in 38 sporadic pediatric tumors, we show that the expression of NIS, PDS, and TSHR was lower in children than adolescents (P < 0.05). A linear regression confirmed the association between NIS expression and age. Most significantly, NIS was expressed at similar levels in DTC from children and adults, whereas PDS and TSHR expression was even lower in DTC from children, compared to adolescents and adults. Our data suggest that biological behaviors of DTC in adolescents might differ from those in children and adults. Therefore, the premise that the expression of thyroid-specific genes is higher in tumors from pediatric patients than in adults is not entirely true and might be too oversimplified.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Bases of Thyroid Tumors Laboratory, Division of Genetics, Department of Morphology and Genetics and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Pedro de Toledo 669, 11 Andar, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel Cunha Vieira
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cordioli
authors.affiliation: Genetic Bases of Thyroid Tumors Laboratory, Division of Genetics, Department of Morphology and Genetics and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Pedro de Toledo 669, 11 Andar, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lais
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Section, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 740, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa de Seixas
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Section, Department of Pathology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 740, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delcelo
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Cesário Mota Jr. 112, 01221-020 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Cesário Mota Jr. 112, 01221-020 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Longui
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Cesário Mota Jr. 112, 01221-020 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriano Namo
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.affiliation: Genetic Bases of Thyroid Tumors Laboratory, Division of Genetics, Department of Morphology and Genetics and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Pedro de Toledo 669, 11 Andar, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janete Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cerutti