Plasma-Derived miRNA-222 as a Candidate Marker for Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

We analyzed five miRNA molecules (miR-221; miR-222; miR-146b; miR-21; miR-181b) in the plasma of patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), nodular goiter (NG) and healthy controls (HC) and evaluated their diagnostic value for differentiation of PTC from NG and HC. Preoperative PTC plasma miRNA expression (n = 49) was compared with plasma miRNA in the HC group (n = 57) and patients with NG (n = 23). It was demonstrated that miR-221; miR-222; miR-146b; miR-21 and miR-181b were overexpressed in preoperative PTC plasma samples compared to HC (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001; p < 0.002; respectively). The upregulation in tumor tissue of these miRNAs was consistent with The Cancer Genome Atlas Thyroid Carcinoma dataset. A significant decrease in miR-21; miR-221; miR-146b and miR-181b expression was observed in the plasma of PTC patients after total thyroidectomy (p = 0.004; p = 0.001; p = 0.03; p = 0.036; respectively). The levels of miR-222 were significantly higher in the preoperative PTC compared to the NG group (p = 0.004). ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic curve) analysis revealed miR-222 as a potential marker in distinguishing PTC from NG (AUC 0.711; p = 0.004). In conclusion; circulating miR-222 profiles might be useful in discriminating PTC from NG.

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction mediated miR-492 inhibitor suppresses the tumorigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer

“…Kondrotienė et al. [ 27 ] revealed that miR-222 serves as a potential marker in distinguishing papillary thyroid carcinoma from nodular goitre in 2020. However, the biological function of miR-492 in NSCLC remains unclear and requires urgent further confirmation.…”

Opportunities and Challenges of Liquid Biopsy in Thyroid Cancer

“…Comprehensively, a set of mi-RNAs (mi-RNA-375, 34a, 145b, 221, 222, 155, Let-7, and 181b) can be designated as a diagnostic biomarker to distinguish PTCs from benign nodules and identify cancer at an early stage [ 45 ]. Additional evidence suggests that plasma-derived mi-RNA-222 and another set of circulating mi-RNAs (let-7a, let-7c, let-7d, and let-7f) can be significantly increased in PTC patients compared to subjects with goiter or healthy controls [ 46 , 47 ]. In a prospective observational study, the serum levels of 754 mi-RNAs were measured in 11 PTC patients before and after surgery.…”

The Importance of miRNA in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer

“…The study included 49 patients with PTC, 23 patients with benign thyroid nodules, and 57 healthy individuals. The study showed the significant overexpression of miR-221, miR-222, miR-146b, miR-21, and miR-181b [ 71 ].…”