Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Significance of autotaxin activity and overexpression in comparison to soluble intercellular adhesion molecule in
Azza M Hassan1, Mohamed A Alm El-Din, Hala Nagy
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tanta University Hospitals, Tanta Faculty of Medicine, Tanta, Egypt.
Background:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of autotaxin (ATX) activity and gene expression compared to soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in thyroid carcinoma.
Patients And Methods:
Sixty-five patients with thyroid swelling were included. There were 20 cases of simple multinodular goiter (group I), 15 cases of follicular adenoma (group II) and 30 cases of thyroid cancer (group III). Group III was further subdivided into negative and positive lymph nodes (group IIIa and IIIb; 22 and 8 cases, respectively). sICAM-1 concentration and ATX activity were measured using colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while ATX gene expression was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results:
sICAM-1 level, ATX activity and gene expression were significantly elevated in patients with thyroid carcinoma compared to other groups. The ATX activity showed significantly higher sensitivity and specificity than sICAM-1 (100% and 97.1% vs 93.3% and 88.6%, respectively). Both sICAM-1 and ATX values were significantly higher in patients with positive lymph nodes compared to those without lymph node involvement (p<0.001). Higher levels of ATX activity and gene expression were significantly correlated with larger tumor size and undifferentiated pathological subtype in thyroid carcinoma. In this respect, ATX was superior to sICAM-1.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that ATX activity and gene expression are reliable diagnostic and prognostic tools in thyroid carcinoma compared to sICAM-1.
Related Concept Videos
Autocrine Signaling
Autocrine Signaling in Macrophages
Under normal physiological conditions, autocrine signaling is essential for maintaining homeostasis. This process is well characterized in...
Autocrine Signaling
Autocrine Signaling in Macrophages
Under normal physiological conditions, autocrine signaling is essential for maintaining homeostasis. This process is well characterized in...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Synthesis and Regulation of Thyroid Hormones
Upon reaching the thyroid gland, TSH stimulates the follicular cells' active uptake of iodide ions from the blood. The ions diffuse to the apical surface of the cells and are oxidized to iodine. The iodine is then...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Hyperthyroidism II: Pathophysiology

