NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A test based on expression of a combination of genes may help enhance the preoperative diagnosis of follicular thyroid tumors, US and Brazilian researchers report in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
“This work shows that a small number of molecular markers can be used to distinguish malignant from benign thyroid tumors,” senior investigator Dr. Gregory J. Riggins told Reuters Health. “These follicular pattern thyroid tumors are hard to predict.”
To help improve identification, Dr. Riggins of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore and colleagues examined gene transcripts from follicular thyroid carcinoma, benign follicular thyroid adenoma and normal thyroid using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE).
Four genes, DDIT3, ARG2, ITM1 and C1orf24, differed between the two classes of tumors and a linear combination of expression levels predicted the type of tumor with 83% accuracy. Furthermore, the immunoreactivity of DDIT3 and ARG2 was also different the two tumor types.
“We think that with additional refinement,” Dr. Riggins continued, “in a few more years we can have a test that will help guide the pathologist to determine how likely a given follicular thyroid tumor is to be cancerous.”
“Our hope,” he added, “is that we can bring down medical costs by more aggressively treating malignant tumors, and avoiding unnecessary surgery for the benign tumors.”
Source: J Clin Invest 2004;113:1234-1242. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings: Community Health Services : Data Collection : Diagnosis : Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine : Diagnostic Services : Endocrine Gland Neoplasms : Environment and Public Health : Epidemiologic Methods : Health Care Facilities, Manpower, and Services : Genetic Screening : Genetic Techniques : Head and Neck Neoplasms : Health : Health Occupations : Health Services : Health Services Administration : Health Surveys : Information Science : Mass Screening : Medicine : Investigative Techniques : Neoplasms : Neoplasms by Site : Population Characteristics : Preventive Health Services : Preventive Medicine : Public Health : Quality of Health Care : Specialties, Medical : Thyroid Neoplasms : Public Health Practice : Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation : Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms : Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures : Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment : Biological Sciences : Diseases : Health Care : Information Science Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.