Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 27, 2025

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice
Published on: August 23, 2019
The effect of VAV3 polymorphisms on thyroid cancer
Wanli Ren1, Chongwen Xu1, Shiyang Wang1
1Otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
Background:
The incidence of thyroid cancer is rising rapidly in China, but there are few studies on the risk factors of thyroid cancer in the Chinese Han population.
Methods:
We performed this case-control study of 510 patients and 509 controls to for determine the linkage of VAV3 variants (rs17019602, rs7521681, rs4915076, and rs1777451) with thyroid cancer susceptibility by computing the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Multi-factor dimension reduction (MDR) analysis was conducted to assess interaction of VAV3 genetic variants.
Results:
We found that rs7521681 was remarkably related to a higher risk of thyroid cancer (OR = 1.74, p = 0.012), whereas rs4915076 (OR = 0.66, p = 0.001) significantly decreased thyroid cancer susceptibility. Stratified analyses showed that rs4915076 had a protective role in thyroid cancer in both ages >45 years (OR = 0.70, p = 0.017) and age ≤45 years (OR = 0.63, p = 0.007). Rs17019602 could increase the susceptibility of thyroid cancer in men (OR = 4.76, p = 0.049). Rs7521681 was related to an increased risk of thyroid cancer in women (OR = 1.97, p = 0.012). Rs4915076 could protect individuals from thyroid cancer both in men (OR = 0.60, p = 0.031) and women (OR = 0.68, p = 0.010). Moreover, rs4915076 was the best single-locus model to predict thyroid cancer. Interestingly, the interaction model of rs17019602, rs7521681, rs4915076, rs1777451, and age was a candidate gene-environment model.
Conclusion:
Our results indicated VAV3 variants were associated with thyroid cancer, which provides a new sight into etiology of thyroid cancer.
Related Concept Videos
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...
Functions of Thyroid Hormones
TH is indispensable for the normal development and maturation of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems during fetal and childhood growth. It facilitates bone mineral turnover and regulates protein synthesis in developing tissues, contributing significantly to overall growth and...
The Thyroid Gland
The follicles have a central cavity lined by simple cuboidal to squamous epithelial cells called follicular cells. These cells produce the glycoprotein...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...

