Transcriptomic characteristics according to tumor size and SUV_max in papillary thyroid cancer patients

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Oncology
• Nuclear Medicine

Background:

• Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), a measure of FDG uptake, is linked to thyroid cancer aggressiveness.
• The association between SUVmax and specific molecular pathways in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unclear.
• Understanding these molecular underpinnings can refine prognostic assessments and therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between SUVmax and gene expression profiles in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).
• To identify molecular pathways and specific genes associated with SUVmax and tumor aggressiveness.
• To explore metabolic differences between high SUVmax micro- and macro-PTC.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of gene expression profiles and enriched pathways in 80 PTC patients.
• Correlation analysis between SUVmax, tumor size, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
• Unsupervised and subgroup analyses to identify key genes and pathways.

Main Results:

• SUVmax positively correlated with tumor size and glucose metabolic processes.
• Thyroid differentiation genes (e.g., SLC5A5, TPO) negatively correlated with SUVmax.
• SUVmax positively correlated with DNA replication, pyrimidine metabolism, and purine metabolism pathways.
• Specific genes (e.g., SOX2, SLC5A5) were significantly associated with tumor aggressiveness.
• High SUVmax tumors (both micro-PTC and macro-PTC) showed enrichment in DNA replication and cell cycle pathways.
• Purine metabolism pathways were enriched only in high SUVmax macro-PTC, not high SUVmax micro-PTC.

Conclusions:

• SUVmax reflects molecular characteristics associated with tumor growth and aggressiveness in differentiated thyroid cancer.
• Metabolic pathways, particularly DNA replication and purine/pyrimidine metabolism, are significantly involved in high SUVmax PTC.
• Findings highlight the utility of SUVmax in understanding the molecular landscape of thyroid cancer progression.