Microarray technology to investigate genes associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

DNA microarray data on thyroid tissue from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and from healthy controls were compared in order to investigate the regulatory genes and uncover the underlying regulatory network in PTC. The DNA microarray data set, GSE3678, was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. This included seven thyroid tissue samples from patients with PTC and seven samples from healthy controls. Raw data were processed and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using corresponding R packages. Gene regulation analysis was conducted using TRANSFAC® and TRED. A total of 171 DEGs were obtained. A regulatory network was then established, using 104 of the DEGs. Subsequently, pathway enrichment analyses of the genes were conducted using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) online tool. Three differentially expressed transcription factors were identified: Trefoil factor 3, cut‑like homeobox 2 and forkhead box protein A2. The most significant pathways involving the 104 DEGs were pathways involved in cancer. Biological process analysis using DAVID, suggested that these genes were associated with the positive regulation of gene expression, gene transcription and metabolic processes. The present study identified a range of genes associated with the development of PTC. The results of the present study were beneficial for understanding the regulatory mechanisms involved in PTC, and for developing clinical diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this disease.