CIP2A is a poor prognostic factor and can be a diagnostic marker in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid carcinoma. CIP2A has recently been described as a prognostic marker in many cancers. In this study, we assessed the value of this novel prognostic marker in PTC. A total of 178 surgical specimens of both benign and malignant thyroid tumors were collected. Immunohistochemical staining for CIP2A, HBME-1, galectin-3, and CK19 was performed. Western blotting for CIP2A was also performed. CIP2A was expressed in 85.3% of malignant tumors and 12.1% of benign tumors. ROC analysis showed that the AUC for CIP2A was higher than those for other tumor markers. Western blotting showed that CIP2A expression was higher in PTC than in other tumors. Poor progression-free survival was observed in the high-CIP2A expression group. High CIP2A expression is a poor prognostic factor and can be a diagnostic marker in PTC. The presence of any two of the three indicated makers (CIP2A, galectin-3, and HBME-1) is strongly correlated with the diagnosis of PTC.