Relationship between serum NDRG3 and papillary thyroid carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) incidence is rapidly increasing.
• NDRG family member 3 (NDRG3) is a potential tumor marker for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diagnostic value of serum NDRG3 expression in differentiating papillary thyroid carcinoma from benign thyroid nodules.
• To assess the correlation between NDRG3 expression and clinicopathological features of PTC.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum NDRG3 detection.
• Electrochemiluminescence for thyroid hormone and antibody measurements.
• Immunohistochemical staining for tissue NDRG3 expression analysis.

Main Results:

• Serum NDRG3 levels were significantly different across healthy controls, benign thyroid nodules, and PTC groups (P < 0.001).
• Serum NDRG3 expression was significantly lower in PTC compared to benign nodules (P < 0.001).
• NDRG3 expression was lowest in PTC tissue, higher in benign nodules, and highest in adjacent normal tissue.
• Serum NDRG3 was an independent protective factor for PTC (OR = 0.964, P < 0.001).
• ROC analysis demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for serum NDRG3 in distinguishing PTC (AUC = 0.902) and benign nodules (AUC = 0.863).
• Lower serum NDRG3 levels correlated with extrathyroid extension and lymph node metastasis in PTC.

Conclusions:

• Decreased NDRG3 expression aids in differentiating benign thyroid nodules from papillary thyroid carcinoma.
• Serum NDRG3 serves as a valuable molecular marker for the diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.