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Horm Metab Res 2009; 41(6): 475-481
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1215593
Humans, Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Analysis of Deregulated miRNAs is Helpful to Distinguish Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma from Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

S. Schwertheim 1 , S-Y. Sheu 1 [*] , K. Worm 1 , F. Grabellus 1 , K. W. Schmid 1 , 2
  • 1Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
  • 2Member of the West German Cancer Centre Essen (WTZE), Essen, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

received 23.01.2009

accepted 09.03.2009

Publication Date:
15 April 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is defined as a malignant follicular cell derived neoplasm, both morphologically and biologically intermediate between well differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). In the present study we investigated the expression levels of two distinct sets of miRNAs (‘set 1’: miRNA-146b, −181b, −21, −221, −222, all shown to be significantly upregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma [PTC]; ‘set 2’: miRNA−30d, −125b, −26a, −30a−5p, and let7c, all downregulated in ATC) in a series of 15 PDTC (including 3 mixed PDTC/PTC), 9 ‘pure’ PTC, and 9 ATC. Compared to normal thyroid tissue all ‘set 1’ miRNAs were significantly upregulated in PTC (p<0.001); in ATC 4/5 miRNAs were upregulated (p<0.001) whereas in PDTC the expression levels of all 5 miRNAs did not differ significantly from normal thyroid. All miRNAs of ‘set 2’ were significantly upregulated in PTC (p<0.004) and downregulated in ATC (p<0.03); in PDTC only 3/5 were downregulated (p<0.011). All 10 miRNAs investigated differed significantly (p<0.003) between PTC and PDTC. In the histologically differentiated PTC compound of mixed PDTC/PTC cases, however, miRNA expression levels of all 10 miRNAs investigated lacked significant difference from those found in the PDTC compound, whereas 6/10 miRNAs differed significantly from ‘pure’ PTC. Our results indicate that analysis of distinct sets of miRNAs represent useful tools to distinguish PDTC from ‘pure’ PTC. Additionally our findings suggest that lack of deregulation of some miRNAs may select a subset of PTC prone to progression to PDTC.

Key words

miRNA - deregulation - poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma - papillary thyroid carcinoma - anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

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1 These authors contributed equally to this work.

Correspondence

K. W. SchmidMD, MRCPath 

Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology

University Hospital of Essen

University of Duisburg-Essen

Hufelandstr. 55

45122 Essen

Germany

Phone: +49/201/723 28 90

Fax: +49/201/723 59 26

Email: kw.schmid@uk-essen.de

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