Proteomic Biomarkers in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer originates from follicular or parafollicular thyroid cells. The thyroid cells give rise to well-differentiated cancers, including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) – and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC).

For the target treatment and prevention of women’s increased thyroid cancer, a study by scientists at Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea focused on risks of environmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. The study concentrated on bisphenol A (BPA), and its high susceptible exposure, timing, particularly early exposure in lives.

Female ICR mice were exposed to BPA in utero and in early life (15, 75 and 300 mg/L of drinking water via pregnant mice and lactation). The study identified BPA-responsive proteins in mice thyroid by 2D-PAGE, image analyses, and ESI-Q-TOF MS. The study further analyzed expression of the BPA-responsive proteins in women thyroid cancer patients (N=28).

The co-authors of the study, Ho-Sun Lee1, Yunkyeong Kang, found the altered 17 proteins in BPA dose-dependent manner among the thyroid tissues of offspring mice and identified 9 proteins of them, including Anxa6, Atp5b, Hspa5, Vcp, etc. In addition, they observed the positive association between blood BPA levels and mRNA expression of the ANXA6 and VCP not in normal but thyroid cancer tissues.

The study provided ANXA6 and VCP as proteomic biomarkers for BPA- early life exposure and their potential for women’s thyroid cancer.

For the full study see the reference below:
Lee, H., Kang, Y., Tae, K., Bae, G., Park, J. Y., Cho, Y. H., & Yang, M. (2017). Proteomic Biomarkers for Bisphenol A-Early Exposure and Women’s Thyroid Cancer. Cancer Research and Treatment. doi:10.4143/crt.2017.001