title: Molecular Signature of Indeterminate Thyroid Lesions: Current Methods to Improve Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) Diagnosis.
abstract: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) represents the gold standard for determining the nature of thyroid nodules. It is a reliable method with good sensitivity and specificity. However, indeterminate lesions remain a diagnostic challenge and researchers have contributed molecular markers to search for in cytological material to refine FNAC diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgeries. Nowadays, several "home-made" methods as well as commercial tests are available to investigate the molecular signature of an aspirate. Moreover, other markers (i.e., microRNA, and circulating tumor cells) have been proposed to discriminate benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Here, we review the literature and provide data from our laboratory on mutational analysis of FNAC material and circulating microRNA expression obtained in the last 6 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. cantara@unisi.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cantara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. carlottamarzocchi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marzocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. t.pilli.e@ao-siena.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. sandro.cardinale@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cardinale
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. forleo.r@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forleo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. m.g.castagna@ao-siena.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy. furio.pacini@unisi.it.
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacini
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC); gene expression classifier; indeterminate lesions; microRNAs (miRNAs); next generation sequencing