Association of telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations with clinicopathological features and prognosis of thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis

The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations have been widely investigated in thyroid cancer; however, the results are still discrepant. Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid, and the Cochran Library databases for relevant articles prior to April 2016. Mutation rates were synthesized by R statistical software. The odds ratio or standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval was pooled by Stata. A total of 22 studies with 4,907 cases were included in this meta-analysis. TERT promoter mutations tended to present in aggressive histological types including poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (33.37%), anaplastic thyroid cancer (38.69%), and tall-cell variant papillary thyroid cancer (30.23%). These promoter mutations were likely to exist in older patients and males and were well associated with larger tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, advanced tumor stage, disease recurrence/persistence, and mortality. In addition, TERT promoter mutations (especially C228T) tended to coexist with BRAF(V600E) mutation, which indicated more aggressive tumor behavior. Therefore, TERT promoter mutations may be promising biomarkers for early diagnosis, risk stratification, prognostic prediction, and management of thyroid cancer

Constrictive bronchiolitis and paraneoplastic pemphigus caused by unicentric Castleman disease in a young woman: a case report

IntroductionConstrictive bronchiolitis is a rare and severe condition characterized by progressive and irreversible obstruction of small airways. Constrictive bronchiolitis could be part of paraneoplastic autoimmune multiorgan syndrome secondary to Castleman disease.Case descriptionA 20-year-old female presented with progressive exertional dyspnea and severe obstructive ventilatory dysfunction. She also experienced recurrent and painful oral mucosal erosions. Upon investigation for underlying conditions, contrast-enhanced CT imaging revealed a pelvic mass exhibiting marked enhancement and hypertrophied vessels. A diagnosis of Castleman disease was confirmed via ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of the pelvic tumor. Autoantibodies indicative of paraneoplastic pemphigus were detected using indirect immunofluorescence on rat bladder tissue. Complete surgical resection of the pelvic mass was undertaken with the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team. Despite resolution of mucocutaneous lesions, symptoms of constrictive bronchiolitis persisted after the surgery. Subsequently, the patient underwent lung transplantation and demonstrated significant improvement in lung function.ConclusionTimely diagnosis and comprehensive multidisciplinary management of this rare and life-threatening syndrome are crucial for enhancing patient outcomes

Progress on Targeted Therapy of Radioiodine-refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Targeted therapy has brought revolutionary breakthroughs for radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. New targeted drugs have prolonged the survival of patients with advanced differentiated thyroid cancer. Multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors, represented by sorafenib and lenvatinib, have remarkably improved the progression-free survival of patients. Novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting BRAF and RET mutation have also achieved remarkable curative effects, greatly enriching the treatment methods for thyroid cancer. This article reviews the latest research progress on targeted therapy in radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer

Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Signature for Thyroid Cancer Based on Ferroptosis-Related Genes

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Most PTC patients have a good prognosis; however, there are 5–20% of PTC patients with extra-thyroidal invasion, vascular invasion, or distant metastasis who have relatively poor prognoses. The aim of this study is to find new and feasible molecular pathological markers and therapeutic targets for early identification and appropriate management. Methods: The GEO and TCGA databases were used to gather gene expression data and clinical outcomes. Based on gene expression and clinical parameters, we developed a ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model and a nomogram. CCK-8, wound-healing, and transwell assays were conducted to explore the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of thyroid cancer cells. Results: We found 75 genes associated with ferroptosis that were differentially expressed between normal thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer tissues. The prognostic values of the 75 ferroptosis-related gene expressions were evaluated using the TCGA-THCA dataset, and five (AKR1C3, BID, FBXW7, GPX4, and MAP3K5) of them were of significance. Following that, we chose AKR1C3 as the subject for further investigation. By combining gene expression and clinical parameters, we developed a ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.816, and the nomogram also achieved good predictive efficacy for the three-year survival rate of thyroid cancer patients. Knocking down AKR1C3 enhances thyroid cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities. Conclusions: A ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model was constructed that provided unique insights into THCA prognosis prediction. In addition, AKR1C3 was found to be a progression promoter in thyroid cancer cell lines.</jats:p

Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Signature for Thyroid Cancer Based on Ferroptosis-Related Genes

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Most PTC patients have a good prognosis; however, there are 5&ndash;20% of PTC patients with extra-thyroidal invasion, vascular invasion, or distant metastasis who have relatively poor prognoses. The aim of this study is to find new and feasible molecular pathological markers and therapeutic targets for early identification and appropriate management. Methods: The GEO and TCGA databases were used to gather gene expression data and clinical outcomes. Based on gene expression and clinical parameters, we developed a ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model and a nomogram. CCK-8, wound-healing, and transwell assays were conducted to explore the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of thyroid cancer cells. Results: We found 75 genes associated with ferroptosis that were differentially expressed between normal thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer tissues. The prognostic values of the 75 ferroptosis-related gene expressions were evaluated using the TCGA-THCA dataset, and five (AKR1C3, BID, FBXW7, GPX4, and MAP3K5) of them were of significance. Following that, we chose AKR1C3 as the subject for further investigation. By combining gene expression and clinical parameters, we developed a ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.816, and the nomogram also achieved good predictive efficacy for the three-year survival rate of thyroid cancer patients. Knocking down AKR1C3 enhances thyroid cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities. Conclusions: A ferroptosis-related gene-based prognostic model was constructed that provided unique insights into THCA prognosis prediction. In addition, AKR1C3 was found to be a progression promoter in thyroid cancer cell lines