Qihao Sun1, Hongjian Zhao2, Zhiyong Liu1, Fengqian Wang3, Qian He4, Cheng Xiu5, Lunhua Guo5, Qiushi Tian1, Lijun Fan6,7, Ji Sun8, Dianjun Sun9. 1. Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. 2. General Surgery Department, People's Hospital of Chengwu County, Heze, Shandong, China. 3. Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. 4. Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, Shandong, China. 5. Department of Head and Neck Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. 6. Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. fanlijun@hrbmu.edu.cn. 7. School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA. fanlijun@hrbmu.edu.cn. 8. Department of Head and Neck Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. fuyuansunji@163.com. 9. Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. hrbmusdj@163.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the applicability of metabolomics to select thyroid cancer-associated biomarkers and discover the effects of iodine on metabolic changes in thyroid cancer. METHODS: In this study, a total of 33 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients from areas with iodine excess and 32 PTC patients from areas with adequate iodine were recruited, and their cancerous tissue and paracancerous tissue were collected. These specimens were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF/MS) in conjunction with multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: Good separations were obtained for PTC tissue vs. paracancerous tissue, and 15 metabolites, including L-octanoylcarnitine, N-arachidonoylglycine, and others were found to be disturbed in PTC tissue. Moreover, the metabolic profile presented considerable separation between PTC tissue from different iodine areas, and 15 metabolomic biomarkers were found to be differentially expressed. Among them, 10 metabolites, including arachidonoylcarnitine and LysoPCs, were related to thyroid cancer and excess iodine. These biomarkers play a role in arachidonic acid metabolism pathways and others. In addition, biomarkers such as 3,5-tetradecadiencarnitine and oxidized glutathione were significantly correlated with thyroid function, and biomarkers such as L-octanoylcarnitine and arachidonic acid were significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics of PTC. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct differences in metabolic profiles were found to exist between PTCs from areas with different levels of iodine nutrition. The identified biomarkers have significant potential for diagnosing PTC and investigating its underlying mechanisms.
PURPOSE: To investigate the applicability of metabolomics to select thyroid cancer-associated biomarkers and discover the effects of iodine on metabolic changes in thyroid cancer. METHODS: In this study, a total of 33 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients from areas with iodine excess and 32 PTC patients from areas with adequate iodine were recruited, and their cancerous tissue and paracancerous tissue were collected. These specimens were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF/MS) in conjunction with multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: Good separations were obtained for PTC tissue vs. paracancerous tissue, and 15 metabolites, including L-octanoylcarnitine, N-arachidonoylglycine, and others were found to be disturbed in PTC tissue. Moreover, the metabolic profile presented considerable separation between PTC tissue from different iodine areas, and 15 metabolomic biomarkers were found to be differentially expressed. Among them, 10 metabolites, including arachidonoylcarnitine and LysoPCs, were related to thyroid cancer and excess iodine. These biomarkers play a role in arachidonic acid metabolism pathways and others. In addition, biomarkers such as 3,5-tetradecadiencarnitine and oxidized glutathione were significantly correlated with thyroid function, and biomarkers such as L-octanoylcarnitine and arachidonic acid were significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics of PTC. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct differences in metabolic profiles were found to exist between PTCs from areas with different levels of iodine nutrition. The identified biomarkers have significant potential for diagnosing PTC and investigating its underlying mechanisms.
Entities:
Keywords:
Biomarkers; Iodine; Metabolomics; Papillary thyroid cancer