INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTORS IN THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH PAPILLARY THYROID CANCER

The aim is to study the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) in the blood serum of patients with papillary thyroid cancer, depending on the main clinical and morphological features of the disease.

Materials and methods: The material was the information about 60 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (group 1). In group 2 there were 10 patients without oncopathology. All patients underwent clinical examination after total thyroidectomy before special treatment (radioiodine therapy): ultrasound diagnosis of the neck, confirmed diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer by morphological examination of operative material. All patients underwent anthropometric studies (height, weight), on the basis of which the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The study program also included determination of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone of the pituitary gland (TSH), thyroglobulin (TG), antibodies to thyroglobulin (AB-TG). It was also determined the serum glucose level. In order to assess insulin resistance, the HOMA-IR index was calculated. All patients were tested for serum IGF-1 and IGF-2.

Results: In the blood serum of patients with papillary thyroid cancer in 63% of patients the level of IGF-1 and in 85% - IGF-2 was probably higher than in the control group. There is a relationship between the level of IGF-1, IGF-2 and elevated level of proliferating factor - insulin in the serum of patients with papillary thyroid cancer. This may indicate an aggressive potential of the disease (i.e. clinical data on the prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer coincide with laboratory data). There was found a relationship between the expression of IGF-1, IGF-2 and insulin: at elevated levels of insulin> 24.9 μIU/ml, IGF-1 increases 4.2 times, and IGF-2 - 2.5 times. Evaluation of the relationship between the level of IGF-1 and IGF-2 and cervical lymph node involvement shows that in the absence of lesion (N0) there is an increase in these indicators by 2.2 and 1.8 times, respectively.

Conclusions: The signaling system of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2) plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors. It is especially true for papillary thyroid cancer, so its components can be considered as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers of the disease and targets for anticancer therapy.