Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang, China.
Chongqing Cancer Institute, Chongqing, China.
Clin Exp Med. 2020 Nov;20(4):515-525. doi: 10.1007/s10238-020-00642-3. Epub 2020 Jun 28.
Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a usual event in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, which usually leads to poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of LNM remain unclear. Thus, we aimed to screen the possible key genes in the progression of LNM in PTC patients and further validate their roles. The study involved two phases: a discovery phase and a validation one. In the former phase, the candidate genes were screened by using bioinformatics methods. In the latter one, the genes were firstly assessed in a cohort from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) to evaluate the associations of their expressions with clinical features and the prognostic values, and then, they were assessed at protein levels by using an immunohistochemical assay. Consequently, IGHBP3 was selected as the candidate gene, which might be enriched in several metabolism-related pathways and cancer progression-related pathways. High expressions of IGHBP3 have an association with gender, advanced clinical stages, high T stages, and the presence of LNM. Survival analysis indicated that IGHBP3 may affect the prognosis of PTC patients. The use of a tissue chip confirmed the view that IGHBP3 might play a crucial role in the LNM of PTC. In conclusion, IGHBP3 might be involved in the development of LNM in PTC patients. IGHBP3 over-expression might be a novel indicator and a potential target for PTC therapy.
淋巴结转移 (LNM) 是甲状腺乳头状癌 (PTC) 患者常见的事件，通常导致预后不良。然而，LNM 的分子机制尚不清楚。因此，我们旨在筛选 PTC 患者 LNM 进展中可能的关键基因，并进一步验证它们的作用。该研究分为两个阶段：发现阶段和验证阶段。在前一阶段，通过生物信息学方法筛选候选基因。在后一阶段，首先在癌症基因组图谱 (TCGA) 的队列中评估这些基因，以评估它们的表达与临床特征和预后价值的关联，然后通过免疫组织化学检测评估它们的蛋白水平。结果，IGHBP3 被选为候选基因，它可能富集在几种代谢相关途径和癌症进展相关途径中。IGHBP3 的高表达与性别、晚期临床分期、高 T 分期和 LNM 有关。生存分析表明 IGHBP3 可能影响 PTC 患者的预后。组织芯片的使用证实了 IGHBP3 可能在 PTC 的 LNM 中发挥关键作用的观点。总之，IGHBP3 可能参与 PTC 患者的 LNM 发展。IGHBP3 过表达可能是 PTC 治疗的一个新指标和潜在靶点。
