Thyroid tumor marker genomics and proteomics: Diagnostic and clinical implications

Abstract

Two systems biology concepts, genomics and proteomics, are highlighted in this review. These techniques are implemented to optimize the use of thyroid tumor markers (TTM). Tissue microarray studies can produce genetic maps and proteomics, patterns of protein expression of TTM derived from preoperative biopsies and specimens. For instance, papillary and medullary thyroid cancers harbor RAS, RET, and BRAF genetic mutations. Follicular thyroid cancers harbor translocations and fusions of certain genes (PAX 8 and PPAR-gamma). Proteomic analysis from various tissue sources can provide useful information regarding the overall state of a thyroid cancer cell. Understanding the molecular events related to these genetic and protein alterations can potentially clarify thyroid cancer pathogenesis and guide appropriate molecular targeted therapies. However, despite the realization that these emerging technologies hold great promise, there are still significant obstacles to the routine use of TTM. These include equivocal thyroid nodule tissue morphologic interpretations, inadequate standardization of methods, and monetary costs. Interpretative shortcomings are frequently due to the relative scarcity of cellular material from fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) specimens. This can be rectified with large needle aspiration biopsy (LNAB) techniques and is exemplified by the favorable performance of galectin-3 determinations on LNAB specimens.

Gene expression profiling of papillary thyroid carcinomas in Korean patients by oligonucleotide microarrays

“…This finding seems to be reasonable because the RAS-BRAF-MAPK and PI3K-AKt pathways are the most important molecular mechanisms in the carcinogenesis of PTCs [10]. However, cross-talking between other signal transduction pathways may be present because several genes associated with other signal transduction pathways were found in our analysis.…”

“…The diagnosis of PTC based on FNAB has limitations because of "indeterminate" results, which accounts for 15 to 20% of FNAB results [10]. Molecular diagnostic markers could be helpful to discriminate malignant thyroid nodules from benign nodules.…”

Diagnostic significance of CK19, TG, Ki67 and galectin-3 expression for papillary thyroid carcinoma in the northeastern region of China

“…Measurement of the serum Tg level is used to monitor patients for residual or recurrent thyroid cancer [20]. However, studies on the expression of Tg in thyroid tissues were not common and Lazar et al found TG expression was decreased in thyroid carcinomas but was normal in the other tissues [21].…”

Molecular Markers: From Diagnosis to Prognosis in 2013

“…These genomic molecular markers are best studied by cytogeneticists trying to explore some DNA molecular changes using protein chain reaction (PCR), transcriptase reverse-PCR (RT-PCR), serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and tissue microarray (TMA) technology. The accumulated genomic alterations are expressed in the transcriptome and then translated to the proteonome, and the related proteins can be identified, extracted and quantified by different techniques, mainly two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and the surface-enhanced laser description/ionization (SELDI)-TOF technique [14], as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and phage display [15]. High-throughout techniques have allowed researchers to look for and then validate several potential new biological markers in the last 10 years [16], and the efforts to define the pathogenesis and carcinogenesis of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) yielded knowledge that was an important step in developing new protocols and algorithms for the PTC approach [10 • , 17, 18].…”