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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha mRNA in human anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines and tumors
Jimin Xu1, Sebastiano Filetti, Jerome M Hershman
1Department of Pathology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
Background:
Hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1alpha and HNF-1beta are related transcription factors that are mainly expressed in liver cells. Our previous study showed that HNF-1beta was highly expressed in papillary thyroid cancer cell lines and tumors. HNF-1alpha mRNA, however, was not detected in differentiated thyroid cancer cell lines. The objective of this study was to determine whether HNF-1alpha is expressed in dedifferentiated anaplastic thyroid cancer cells.
Methods:
Total RNA isolated from six anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines and 38 surgical samples was analyzed for HNF-1alpha mRNA by conventional reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or real-time RT-PCR. HNF-1alpha DNA binding activity was measured by gel retardation assay and HNF-1alpha protein was identified by Western blotting.
Results:
HNF-1alpha mRNA was expressed in four of the six anaplastic cell lines. The presence of HNF-1alpha protein and DNA binding activity was detected in three lines with higher HNF-1alpha mRNA level. Three cell lines also expressed HNF-1beta. HNF-1alpha transcripts were also detected in five out of six anaplastic tumors, but not in the papillary tumors except one with weak PCR signal.
Conclusion:
HNF-1alpha mRNA was detected in high frequency in anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines and tumors. HNF-1alpha might play a role in the pathogenesis of anaplastic thyroid cancer.
