TY - JOUR
T1 - The tight relationship between papillary thyroid cancer, autoimmunity and inflammation
T2 - Clinical and molecular studies
AU - Muzza, Marina
AU - Degl'Innocenti, Debora
AU - Colombo, Carla
AU - Perrino, Michela
AU - Ravasi, Elena
AU - Rossi, Stefania
AU - Cirello, Valentina
AU - Beck-Peccoz, Paolo
AU - Borrello, Maria Grazia
AU - Fugazzola, Laura
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - Objective The recent concept that oncogenes responsible for thyroid neoplastic transformation are able to elicit an inflammatory protumourigenic microenvironment raises interest in further studies on papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) associated with thyroid autoimmunity. Patients The clinical and molecular features, and the expression of inflammation-related genes, were investigated in a large series of PTCs with and without associated thyroiditis (groups A, n = 128 and B, n = 215). Results The two groups did not show significant differences in clinical and prognostic features, whereas they harboured a significantly different genetic background (P = 0·001), with RET/PTC1 being more represented in PTCs associated with autoimmunity, and BRAFV600E in patients with PTC alone. A RET/PTC rearrangement was also found in 41% of non-neoplastic thyroiditis tissues, contralateral to tumours harbouring either RET/PTC or BRAF mutations. The expression of genes encoding CCL20, CXCL8 and l-selectin was significantly higher in PTC specimens (either with RET/PTC, BRAFV600E or unknown genetic lesion) compared with normal thyroid samples. On the contrary, thyroiditis showed l-selectin expression levels even higher than PTCs, but CCL20 and CXCL8 levels comparable with normal tissues. Conclusions The present data extend the knowledge about the tight relationships among oncogenes, thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. A different genetic background among PTCs with and without associated autoimmunity has been firstly demonstrated. The strong association between RET/PTC1 and thyroiditis points to a critical role of this oncoprotein in the modulation of the autoimmune response. Moreover, preliminary expression studies, indicating enhanced expression of inflammatory molecules in PTCs, suggest a proinflammatory, nonautoimmune relationship between thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.
AB - Objective The recent concept that oncogenes responsible for thyroid neoplastic transformation are able to elicit an inflammatory protumourigenic microenvironment raises interest in further studies on papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) associated with thyroid autoimmunity. Patients The clinical and molecular features, and the expression of inflammation-related genes, were investigated in a large series of PTCs with and without associated thyroiditis (groups A, n = 128 and B, n = 215). Results The two groups did not show significant differences in clinical and prognostic features, whereas they harboured a significantly different genetic background (P = 0·001), with RET/PTC1 being more represented in PTCs associated with autoimmunity, and BRAFV600E in patients with PTC alone. A RET/PTC rearrangement was also found in 41% of non-neoplastic thyroiditis tissues, contralateral to tumours harbouring either RET/PTC or BRAF mutations. The expression of genes encoding CCL20, CXCL8 and l-selectin was significantly higher in PTC specimens (either with RET/PTC, BRAFV600E or unknown genetic lesion) compared with normal thyroid samples. On the contrary, thyroiditis showed l-selectin expression levels even higher than PTCs, but CCL20 and CXCL8 levels comparable with normal tissues. Conclusions The present data extend the knowledge about the tight relationships among oncogenes, thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. A different genetic background among PTCs with and without associated autoimmunity has been firstly demonstrated. The strong association between RET/PTC1 and thyroiditis points to a critical role of this oncoprotein in the modulation of the autoimmune response. Moreover, preliminary expression studies, indicating enhanced expression of inflammatory molecules in PTCs, suggest a proinflammatory, nonautoimmune relationship between thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03699.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03699.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 20447069
AN - SCOPUS:77950198905
VL - 72
SP - 702
EP - 708
JO - Clinical Endocrinology
JF - Clinical Endocrinology
SN - 0300-0664
IS - 5
ER -