Detection of Autoantibodies Recognizing Cancerretina Antigen Recoverin in Blood of Patients With Non-Invasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms With Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (Niftp)

Abstract

Autoantibodies recognizing the cancer-retina autoantigen called recoverin (RCVRN-AutoAb) may serve as a highly specific biomarker of cancer-associated retinopathy. However, they may also be found in some cancer patients without clinical evidence of retinopathy. In the present study, dot-ELISA and Western blot assays were used to demonstrate the presence of circulating RCVRN-AutoAb in 4/7 (57%) of patients with recently recognized pathological entity, non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP); other thyroid tumors represented by follicular adenomas, and classical and follicular variants of papillary thyroid carcinomas, demonstrated low frequencies of RCVRN-AutoAb (0/15, 1/20 (5%) and 1/15 (7%), respectively), with no significant differences from healthy individuals (0/15). Our data implicate the circulating RCVRN-AutoAb as a potential biomarker of NIFTP capable of discrimination of this novel pathological entity from other thyroid tumors.

The Autoantibodies against Tumor-Associated Antigens as Potential Blood-Based Biomarkers in Thyroid Neoplasia: Rationales, Opportunities and Challenges

“…We were able to ultimately identify a three-features TAA signature (ankyrin repeat domain containing-protein 30A ANKRD30A, also known as NY-BR-1; regulator of G protein signaling 5 RGS5; and a particular isoform of hydrocephalus-inducing 2 HYDIN2 - KIAA1864) capable of significantly discriminating DTC from FTA cases both using individual TAAs (DSn of 19% for each; DSP of 95–100%) ( Figure 2 ) and combined three-features TAA panel (DSn of 50%; DSp of 95%). Additionally, a TAA from the initial panel (a cancer-retina antigen recoverin RCVRN) was subsequently demonstrated to elicit a frequent TAA-AAbs response specifically in patients with NIFTP, significantly discriminating them from classical PTC, FTA, invasive FV-PTC, and healthy volunteers with DSp values of 93–100% and DSn values of 57% ( Figure 2 ) [ 142 ].…”