In search of new stratification strategies: Tissue proteomic profiling of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in patients with localized disease and lateral neck metastases

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) are the most common thyroid malignancies that are often diagnosed as microcarcinomas when the tumour is less than one centimetre in diameter. Currently, there are no valid stratification strategies that would reliably assess the risk of lateral neck metastases and optimize surgical treatment. Materials and methods: Aiming to find potential tissue biomarkers of metastatic potential, we conducted a cross-sectional proteomic study on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of metastatic (N = 10) and non-metastatic (N = 10) papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients. Samples were analysed individually using liquid-chromatography / mass spectrometry, and the differentially expressed proteins (DEP) were functionally annotated. Results: We identified five overexpressed DEPs in the metastatic group (EPB41L2, CSE1L, GLIPR2, FGA and FGG) with a known association to tumour biology. Using bioinformatics tools, we found markedly different profiles of significantly enriched biological processes between the two groups. Conclusion: The identified DEPs might have a role as potential tissue biomarkers for PTC metastases. However, further prospective research is needed in order to confirm our findings.