CXC motif ligand 12 as a novel diagnostic marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma

SPI1-mediated CXCL12 expression in bladder cancer affects the recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages

Bladder cancer (BC) originates principally from the epithelial compartment of the bladder. The immune system and its diverse players, chemokines, in particular, have been related to the responses against BC. The goal of the study here was to examine if C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) in BC cells could manipulate protumorigenic properties of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) which affects anticancer immunity supporting tumor development in the tumor microenvironment. CXCL12 was found to be overexpressed in BC and predicted poor survival. CXCL12 in BC was associated with multiple immune cell infiltrations, with TAM infiltration playing a key role. CXCL12 elevated chemotaxis of TAMs. CXCL12 downregulation inhibited cellular activity and TAM and suppressed the ability of TAMs to secrete inflammatory factors and MMP9. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that SPI1 was localized to the CXCL12 promoter in BC cells, suggesting that CXCL12 serves a direct target of SPI1, which was consistent with the fact that SPI1 reversed the repressive effects of si-CXCL12 on BC cell activity and TAM recruitment in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings suggest that SPI1 is involved in modulating TAM recruitment, representing a new mechanism through which it may influence tumor growth. This may be partly mediated by regulating CXCL12 expression.

Diagnostic and prognostic utility of TROP-2, SLP-2, and CXCL12 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent thyroid malignancy. Histopathological examination is widely accepted as the gold standard test for the diagnosis of PTC. However, the histopathological examination sometimes can't differentiate PTC from other thyroid diseases. Differentiating PTC from other thyroid diseases is essential for a therapeutic approach and prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

The current study was performed to investigate the utility of TROP-2, SPL-2, and CXCL12 mRNA and protein expression in discriminating PTC from other thyroid diseases that mimic PTC.

METHODS

The current study was performed on 75 cases of surgically resected thyroid glands. The cases were distributed in two groups: the PTC group and the non-PTC group. The PTC group consisted of 35 cases (25 patients of the classic PTC variant and 10 patients of the PTC follicular variant). The non-PTC group consisted of 40 cases (10 cases were multinodular goiter, 5 cases were Graves' disease, 5 cases were Hashimoto thyroiditis, 15 patients were follicular adenoma (FA) and 5 cases were follicular carcinoma). TROP-2, SPL-2, and CXCL12 mRNA expression were estimated by qRT-PCR, and protein expression was estimated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

There were upregulated TROP-2, SPL-2, and CXCL12 mRNA and protein expressions in PTC compared to non-PTC (P< 0.001, for each). There was a statistically significant upregulation in the mRNA expression of the three genes among PTC cases with larger tumor sizes (P< 0.001, for each), those with tumor stages III and IV (P= 0.008, 0.002 and < 0.001 respectively), and those with LN metastasis (P< 0.001, for each). Moreover, there was a statistically significant upregulation in CXCL-12 gene expression among PTC cases with extra-thyroid extension (P< 0.001).

CONCLUSION

mRNA expression of TROP-2, SPL-2, and CXCL12 among PTC cases increased in larger tumor size, tumor stages III and IV, and LN metastasis. Moreover, there was an increase in CXCL-12 gene expression among PTC cases with extra-thyroid extension. Thus, TROP-2, SPL-2, and CXCL12 expressions could be possible diagnostic and prognostic markers in PTC.

DACH1 inhibits the proliferation and migration of papillary thyroid carcinoma

DACH1 is an important component of the retinal determinate gene network (RDGN), which regulates the expression of target genes by directly binding or interacting with other factors. DACH1 shows inhibitory effects in most tumors, but its role in papillary thyroid carcinoma is unclear and warrants further investigation. We assessed the expression of DACH1 in different tissues and correlation with immune infiltration by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMMER2.0 databases). The effects of DACH1 on the proliferation and migration of TPC-1 and Bcpap cells were assessed by cell viability assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, and flow cytometry. Finally, the effects of DACH1 on CXCL8, CXCL10, and CXCL12 expression in Nthy-ori-3-1, TPC-1 and Bcpap cells were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The results showed that DACH1 was differentially expressed in different tumors and tissues. Basal expression of DACH1 was lower in thyroid and papillary thyroid carcinoma than in other normal tissues and corresponding tumors, and positively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. In Nthy-ori-3-1, TPC-1 and Bcpap cells, overexpression of DACH1 inhibited cell migration and proliferation, and the opposite results was obtained by knocking down DACH1 using small interfering RNA. We also demonstrated that DACH1 regulated chemokines CXCL8, CXCL10, and CXCL12, thereby modulating tumor immunity.

Cancer stem cells and tumor heterogeneity: Deciphering the role in tumor progression and metastasis

Tumor heterogeneity, in principle, reflects the variation among different cancer cell populations. It can be termed inter- or intra-tumoral heterogeneity, respectively, based on its occurrence in various tissues from diverse patients or within a single tumor. The intra-tumoral heterogeneity is one of the leading causes of cancer progression and treatment failure, with the cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributing immensely to the same. These niche cells, similar to normal stem cells, possess the characteristics of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell types. Moreover, CSCs contribute to tumor growth and surveillance by promoting recurrence, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Diverse factors, including intracellular signalling pathways and tumor microenvironment (TME), play a vital role in regulating these CSCs. Although a panel of markers is considered to identify the CSC pool in various cancers, further research is needed to discriminate cancer-specific CSC markers in those. CSCs have also been found to be promising therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. Several small molecules, natural compounds, antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells, and CAR-natural killer (CAR-NK) cells have emerged as therapeutic tools for specific targeting of CSCs. Interestingly, many of these are in clinical trials too. Despite being a much-explored avenue of research for years, and we have come to understand its nitty-gritty, there is still a tremendous gap in our knowledge concerning its precise genesis and regulation. Hence, a concrete understanding is needed to assess the CSC-TME link and how to target different cancer-specific CSCs by designing newer tools. In this review, we have summarized CSC, its causative, different pathways and factors regulating its growth, association with tumor heterogeneity, and last but not least, discussed many of the promising CSC-targeted therapies for combating cancer metastasis.

Role of chemokines in breast cancer

Chemokines belong to a family of chemoattractant cytokines and are well known to have an essential role in various cancer aetiologies. Multiplesubsets of immune cells are recruited and enrolled into the tumor microenvironment through interactions between chemokines and their specific receptors. These populations and their interactions have a distinct impact on tumor growth, progression, and treatment outcomes. While it is clear that many chemokines and their cognate receptors can be detected in breast and other cancers, the role of each chemokine and receptor has yet to be determined. This review focuses on the main chemokines that play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment, emphasizing breast cancer. We have also discussed the techniques used to identify the chemokines and their future implication in the early diagnosis of cancer. In-depth knowledge of chemokines and their role in breast cancer progression can provide specific targets for breast cancer biotherapy.

Expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in papillary thyroid carcinoma and adjacent tissues and their relationship with pathologic indicators of tumor aggressiveness

The receptors of chemokines play a significance role in the aggressiveness of tumor. CXCR4/CXCR7 promote metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study examined the expresssion of chemokine receptors CXCR4/CXCR7 in human tissue specimens of PTC and peritumoral nonmalignant tissues. The correlation between CXCR4/CXCR7 and the clinicopathological factors in PTC was also determined. CXCR4/CXCR7 were examined in 115 PTC tissues from 115 patients using immunohistochemistry. Staining intensity was compared with patients and tumor characteristics including gender, age, tumor size, capsule invasion, multifocality, lymph node metastasis, and nature of paracancerous tissue. [Statistics: rank sum test, Spearman rank order correlation test; p < 0.05]. Higher expression rates of CXCR4/CXCR7 exhibited in PTC compared with peritumoral nonmalignant tissues. The expression of them was correlated in cancer and paracancerous specimens. A trend toward higher CXCR4/CXCR7 expression was found among tumors showing positive lymph nodes and capsule invasion, while no association with sex, age, tumor size, and nature of paracancerous tissue. Number of lymph nodes was associated with higher intensity IHC staining for CXCR4/CXCR7. Intense staining for CXCR4 was also associated with multifocality. Expression of CXCR4/CXCR7 by PTCs was correlated with lymph node metastasis and capsule invasion. Although multiple bias, they were thought to play a significance role in the aggressiveness of PTC, which provides potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

The clinical usefulness of chemokine C-X-C Motif Ligand 12 as a diagnostic marker for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Background

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer worldwide. It is essential to develop methods for the accurate diagnosis of PTC to avoid unnecessary surgery. The chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 12 (CXCL12) is associated with various cancers. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of CXCL12 in the diagnosis of PTC in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.

Methods

We prospectively collected samples from 58 patients who were scheduled for surgical treatment of PTC from 2013 to 2015. Tissue samples of 31 people with benign thyroid conditions were used as controls. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical staining for CXCL12 was performed on FNAs and corresponding tissue specimens. B-type Raf kinase (BRAF) V600E mutant protein expression and gene mutation were also analyzed to compare the clinical usefulness.

Results

: The mean age of the patients was 49.1 ± 1.4 years and 88.1% were women. Positive CXCL12 staining was observed in 6.5% of benign and in 98.3% of PTC samples; positive BRAF V600E mutant protein expression was found in 19.4% of benign and 93.1% of PTC samples. For the diagnosis of PTC for CXCL12 staining of FNA specimens, the calculated values were 93.1% sensitivity, 90.3% specificity, 94.7% positive predictive value, 87.5% negative predictive value, and 89.1% accuracy. CXCL12 had 100% sensitivity and specificity for the 12 cases of atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) diagnosed in FNA specimens.

Conclusions

CXCL12 may be a useful diagnostic tool for PTC, especially when the FNA specimen is classified as AUS.

Diagnostic and prognostic impact of cytokeratin 19 expression analysis in human tumors: a tissue microarray study of 13,172 tumors

To evaluate cytokeratin 19 (CK19) expression in normal and cancerous tissues, 15,977 samples from 122 tumor types and 608 samples of 76 normal tissue types were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In normal tissues, CK19 expression occurred in epithelial cells of most glandular organs but was strictly limited to the basal cell layer of nonkeratinizing squamous epithelium and absent in the skin. CK19 expression in ≥90% of cases was seen in 34% of the tumor entities including the adenocarcinomas of the pancreas (99.4%), colorectum (99.8%), esophagus (98.7%), and stomach (97.7%), as well as breast cancer (90.0%-100%), high-grade serous (99.1%) or endometrioid (97.8%) ovarian cancer, and urothelial carcinoma (92.6%-100%). A low CK19 positivity rate (0.1-10%) was seen in 5 of 122 tumor entities including hepatocellular carcinoma and seminoma. A comparison of tumor versus normal tissue findings demonstrated that upregulation and downregulation of CK19 can occur in cancer and that both alterations can be linked to unfavorable phenotypes. CK19 downregulation was linked to high grade (p = 0.0017) and loss of estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-expression (p < 0.0001 each) in invasive breast carcinoma of no special type. CK19 upregulation was linked to nodal metastases in neuroendocrine tumors and papillary thyroid carcinomas (p < 0.05 each) and to poor grade in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (p < 0.05). CK19 upregulation was particularly common in squamous cell carcinomas. We concluded that CK19 IHC might separate primary liver cell carcinoma from liver metastases, seminoma from other testicular tumors, and helps in the detection of early neoplastic transformation in squamous epithelium.

Thyroid Cancer Stem-Like Cells: From Microenvironmental Niches to Therapeutic Strategies

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy. Recent progress in thyroid cancer biology revealed a certain degree of intratumoral heterogeneity, highlighting the coexistence of cellular subpopulations with distinct proliferative capacities and differentiation abilities. Among those subpopulations, cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are hypothesized to drive TC heterogeneity, contributing to its metastatic potential and therapy resistance. CSCs principally exist in tumor areas with specific microenvironmental conditions, the so-called stem cell niches. In particular, in thyroid cancer, CSCs' survival is enhanced in the hypoxic niche, the immune niche, and some areas with specific extracellular matrix composition. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about thyroid CSCs, the tumoral niches that allow their survival, and the implications for TC therapy.

Immune Microenvironment of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a highly heterogeneous endocrine malignancy with an increased incidence in women than in men. Previous studies regarding the pathogenesis of TC focused on the pathological changes of the tumor cells while ignoring the importance of the mesenchymal cells in tumor microenvironment. However, more recently, the stable environment provided by the interaction of thyroid cancer cells with the peri-tumoral stroma has been widely studied. Studies have shown that components of an individual's immune system are closely related to the occurrence, invasion, and metastasis of TC, which may affect response to treatment and prognosis of the patients. This article presents a comprehensive review of the immune cells, secreted soluble mediators and immune checkpoints in the immune microenvironment, mechanisms that promoting TC cells immune evasion and existing immunotherapy strategies. Besides it provides new strategies for TC prognosis prediction and immunotherapy.

CXCL12/CXCR4 signal transduction in diseases and its molecular approaches in targeted-therapy

Chemokines are small molecules called "chemotactic cytokines" and regulate many processes like leukocyte trafficking, homing of immune cells, maturation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, physiology, migration during development, and host immune responses. These proteins bind to their corresponding 7-membrane G-protein-coupled receptors. Chemokines and their receptors are anti-inflammatory factors in autoimmune conditions, so consider as potential targets for neutralization in such diseases. They also express by cancer cells and function as angiogenic factors, and/or survival/growth factors that enhance tumor angiogenesis and development. Among chemokines, the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis has significantly been studied in numerous cancers and autoimmune diseases. CXCL12 is a homeostatic chemokine, which is acts as an anti-inflammatory chemokine during autoimmune inflammatory responses. In cancer cells, CXCL12 acts as an angiogenic, proliferative agent and regulates tumor cell apoptosis as well. CXCR4 has a role in leukocyte chemotaxis in inflammatory situations in numerous autoimmune diseases, as well as the high levels of CXCR4, observed in different types of human cancers. These findings suggest CXCL12/CXCR4 as a potential therapeutic target for therapy of autoimmune diseases and open a new approach to targeted-therapy of cancers by neutralizing CXCL12 and CXCR4. In this paper, we reviewed the current understanding of the role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in disease pathology and cancer biology, and discuss its therapeutic implications in cancer and diseases.

Identification of potential pathogenic candidates or diagnostic biomarkers in papillary thyroid carcinoma using expression and methylation profiles

The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have not yet been elucidated. The aim of the current study was to identify potential pathogenic biomarkers in PTC by comprehensively analyzing gene expression and methylation profiles, and to increase the understanding of PTC pathogenesis. The gene expression profiles of the GSE97001 and GSE83520 datasets, the miRNA expression profiles of the GSE73182 dataset, and the DNA methylation profiles of the GSE86961 and GSE97466 datasets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) were identified using the limma package in R, and the differentially methylated sites (DMSs) were identified using the β distribution and two-sample t-tests. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Reactome were subsequently used to perform functional and pathway enrichment analysis. The miRNA target genes were predicted using the online databases miRWalk. The protein-protein interactions (PPI) were analyzed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins. The regulatory network was constructed, and the gene expression and methylation levels of the key nodes were detected using reverse-transcription quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and methylation-specific PCR. A total of 155 overlapping DEGs were identified between the GSE97001 and GSE83520 datasets, and 19 DEMs between PTC tissue and normal tissue samples were identified in the GSE73182 set. In the GSE86961 and GSE97466 datasets, 2,910 overlapping DMSs that were associated with 38 downregulated methylated genes were identified. The overlapping DEGs were enriched in 46 Gene Ontology terms and one KEGG pathway. A total of 60 PPI pairs were identified for the overlapping DEGs and 12 negative miRNA-gene pairs were identified for the DEMs. The expression levels of hsa-miR-199a-5p and decorin (DCN) were decreased in patients with PTC. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) was hypermethylated and had a decreased expression level in PTC tissues. LDL receptor related protein 4 (LRP4) and carbonic anhydrase 12 (CA12) were hypomethylated and had an increased expression level. The present study revealed that hsa-miR-199a-5p, DCN, CXCL12, LRP4 and CA12 may serve important roles in the pathogenesis of PTC.

In Silico Integration Approach Reveals Key MicroRNAs and Their Target Genes in Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma

To better understand the molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), this study aimed at identifying key miRNAs and their target genes associated with FTC, as well as analyzing their interactions. Based on the gene microarray data GSE82208 and microRNA dataset GSE62054, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and microRNAs (DEMs) were obtained using R and SAM software. The common DEMs from R and SAM were fed to three different bioinformatic tools, TargetScan, miRDB, and miRTarBase, respectively, to predict their biological targets. With DEGs intersected with target genes of DEMs, the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed through the DAVID database. Then a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING. Finally, the module analysis for PPI network was performed by MCODE and BiNGO. A total of nine DEMs were identified, and their function might work through regulating hub genes in the PPI network especially KIT and EGFR. KEGG analysis showed that intersection genes were enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and microRNAs in cancer. In conclusion, the study of miRNA-mRNA network would offer molecular support for differential diagnosis between malignant FTC and benign FTA, providing new insights into the potential targets for follicular thyroid carcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

MicroRNA-101 Targets CXCL12-Mediated Akt and Snail Signaling Pathways to Inhibit Cellular Proliferation and Invasion in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Escalating evidence suggests that microRNA-101 (miR-101) is implicated in the development and progression of various cancers, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the biological function and molecular mechanisms of miR-101 in PTC are still unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-101 expression was significantly decreased in PTC tissues and cell lines. Clinically, a low level of miR-101 was positively associated with advanced histological stages and lymph node and distant metastases. The expression of CXCL12 was negatively correlated with miR-101 level in PTC. CXCL12 was validated as a direct target of miR-101 in PTC cells. Functional experiments proved that miR-101 markedly reduced the proliferation, apoptosis escape, migration, and invasion of PTC cells. Moreover, CXCL12 restoration rescued the suppressive effects of miR-101 on PTC cells by activating Akt- and EMT-associated signaling pathways. Overall, miR-101 exerts oncostatic effects on PTC by downregulating CXCL12 and repressing its downstream Akt and Snail signaling pathways, suggesting that miR-101/CXCL12/Akt or Snail axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for PTC.

Role of Chemokines in Thyroid Cancer Microenvironment: Is CXCL8 the Main Player?

Tumor-related inflammation does influence the biological behavior of neoplastic cells and ultimately the patient's outcome. With specific regard to thyroid cancer, the issue of tumor-associated inflammation has been extensively studied and recently reviewed. However, the role of chemokines, which play a crucial role in determining the immuno-phenotype of tumor-related inflammation, was not addressed in previous reviews on the topic. Experimental evidence shows that thyroid cancer cells actively secrete a wide spectrum of chemokines and, at least for some of them, solid scientific data support a role for these immune-active molecules in the aggressive behavior of the tumor. Our proposal for a review article on chemokines and thyroid cancer stems from the notion that chemokines, besides having the ability to attract and maintain immune cells at the tumor site, also produce several pro-tumorigenic actions, which include proangiogenetic, cytoproliferative, and pro-metastatic effects. Studies taking into account the role of CCL15, C-X-C motif ligand 12, CXCL16, CXCL1, CCL20, and CCL2 in the context of thyroid cancer will be reviewed with particular emphasis on CXCL8. The reason for focusing on CXCL8 is that this chemokine is the most studied one in human malignancies, displaying multifaceted pro-tumorigenic effects. These include enhancement of tumor cells growth, metastatization, and angiogenesis overall contributing to the progression of several cancers including thyroid cancer. We aim at reviewing current knowledge on the (i) ability of both normal and tumor thyroid cells to secrete CXCL8; (ii) direct/indirect pro-tumorigenic effects of CXCL8 demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies specifically performed on thyroid cancer cells; and (iii) pharmacologic strategies proven to be effective for lowering CXCL8 secretion and/or its effects on thyroid cancer cells.

Role of microRNAs in endocrine cancer metastasis

The deregulation of transcription and processing of microRNAs (miRNAs), as well as their function, has been involved in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, including cancer. Despite advances in therapeutic approaches, cancer still represents one of the major health problems worldwide. Cancer metastasis is an aggravating factor in tumor progression, related to increased treatment complexity and a worse prognosis. After more than one decade of extensive studies of miRNAs, the fundamental role of these molecules in cancer progression and metastasis is beginning to be elucidated. Recent evidences have demonstrated a significant role of miRNAs on the metastatic cascade, acting either as pro-metastatic or anti-metastatic. They are involved in distinct steps of metastasis including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration/invasion, anoikis survival, and distant organ colonization. Studies on the roles of miRNAs in cancer have focused mainly on two fronts: the establishment of a miRNA signature for different tumors, which may aid in early diagnosis using these miRNAs as markers, and functional studies of specific miRNAs, determining their targets, function and regulation. Functional miRNA studies on endocrine cancers are still scarce and represent an important area of research, since some tumors, although not frequent, present a high mortality rate. Among the endocrine tumors, thyroid cancer is the most common and best studied. Several miRNAs show lowered expression in endocrine cancers (i.e. miR-200s, miR-126, miR-7, miR-29a, miR-30a, miR-137, miR-206, miR-101, miR-613, miR-539, miR-205, miR-9, miR-195), while others are commonly overexpressed (i.e. miR-21, miR-183, miR-31, miR-let7b, miR-584, miR-146b, miR-221, miR-222, miR-25, miR-595). Additionally, some miRNAs were found in serum exosomes (miR-151, miR-145, miR-31), potentially serving as diagnostic tools. In this review, we summarize studies concerning the discovery and functions of miRNAs and their regulatory roles in endocrine cancer metastasis, which may contribute for the finding of novel therapeutic targets. The review focus on miRNAs with at least some identified targets, with established functions and, if possible, upstream regulation.

CIP2A is a poor prognostic factor and can be a diagnostic marker in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid carcinoma. CIP2A has recently been described as a prognostic marker in many cancers. In this study, we assessed the value of this novel prognostic marker in PTC. A total of 178 surgical specimens of both benign and malignant thyroid tumors were collected. Immunohistochemical staining for CIP2A, HBME-1, galectin-3, and CK19 was performed. Western blotting for CIP2A was also performed. CIP2A was expressed in 85.3% of malignant tumors and 12.1% of benign tumors. ROC analysis showed that the AUC for CIP2A was higher than those for other tumor markers. Western blotting showed that CIP2A expression was higher in PTC than in other tumors. Poor progression-free survival was observed in the high-CIP2A expression group. High CIP2A expression is a poor prognostic factor and can be a diagnostic marker in PTC. The presence of any two of the three indicated makers (CIP2A, galectin-3, and HBME-1) is strongly correlated with the diagnosis of PTC.

The immune network in thyroid cancer

The immune system plays critical roles in tumor prevention, but also in its initiation and progression. Tumors are subjected to immunosurveillance, but cancer cells generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment that favors their escape from immune-mediated elimination. During chronic inflammation, immune cells can contribute to the formation and progression of tumors by producing mitogenic, prosurvival, proangiogenic and lymphangiogenic factors. Thyroid cancer is the most frequent type of endocrine neoplasia and is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the US. In this review, we discuss recent findings on how different immune cells and mediators can contribute to thyroid cancer development and progression.

Expression and function of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 in thyroid cancer

The contribution of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis to cancer progression has been increasingly recognized. However, its role in thyroid cancer development remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the expression and function of CXCL12 and its receptors in thyroid cancer. The expression of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 in human tissue specimens of papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, follicular adenoma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and nodular goiter were examined by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray. CXCR4 and CXCR7 were over-expressed in human thyroid cancer cells K1 by transduction of recombinant lentivirus. The effect of overexpression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 on K1 cell proliferation and invasion and the molecular mechanism underlying the effect were investigated. CXCL12 was exclusively expressed in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue but absent in other types of thyroid malignancies and benign lesions. CXCR7 was widely expressed in the endothelial cells of all types of malignancy but only occasionally detected in benign lesions. CXCR4 was expressed in 62.5% of papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue specimens and in 30–40% of other types of malignancy, and it was either absent or weakly expressed in benign lesions. CXCL12 stimulated the invasion and migration of K1 cells overexpressing CXCR4, but did not affect K1 cells overexpressing CXCR7. K1 cell proliferation was not affected by overexpression of CXCR4 or CXCR7. Overexpression of CXCR4 in K1 cells significantly increased AKT and ERK phosphorylation and markedly induced the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Thus, CXCL12 may be an effective diagnostic marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma, and CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis may contribute to thyroid cancer development by regulating cancer cell migration and invasion via AKT and ERK signaling and MMP-2 activation.

Diagnostic significance of elevated expression of HBME-1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma

This study examined the association between hector battifora mesothelial antigen-1 (HBME-1) expression and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). A total of 206 patients were enrolled in the current study including 96 PTC patients and 110 patients with benign thyroid nodules (BTN). Immunohistochemistry (Envision) were performed to assess the expression of HBME-1. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the diagnostic tumor node metastasis (TNM) value of HBME-1. Specimens from 96 patients with PTC and 110 patients with BTC were reviewed. HBME-1 was positively immunostained in PTC tissue, which was significantly higher than that in BTN tissues (77.1 vs. 5.77 %, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry also identified that HBME-1 expression did not show any statistically significant differences based on gender, age, tumor size, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). Importantly, HBME-1 expression was correlated with infiltration levels and differential levels in PTC (both P < 0.05). HBME-1 was found to have high sensitivity (94.5 %) and specificity (77.08 %) for PTC diagnosis. Moreover, HBME-1 had a high specificity (83.33 %) at identifying the differential levels of PTC, but a low sensitivity (22.92 %). The sensitivity and specificity of HBME-1 identifying the infiltration levels of PTC were, respectively, 72.70 and 72.00 %. HBME-1 was highly expressed in PTC tissues, and HBME-1 can serve as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of PTC.

Molecular diagnostics for thyroid nodules: the current state of affairs

Molecular diagnostics offers great promise for the evaluation of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. Numerous molecular genetic and immunohistochemical tests have been developed that may be performed on thyroid specimens obtained during standard fine-needle aspiration, some of which may greatly improve diagnostic yield. A sound understanding of the diagnostic performance of these tests, and how they can enhance clinical practice, is important. This article reviews the diagnostic utility of immunohistochemical and molecular testing for the clinical assessment of thyroid nodules, and makes recommendations about how these tests can be integrated into clinical practice for patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.