Diagnostic Accuracy of Preoperative Radiologic Findings in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Discrepancies with the Postoperative Pathologic Diagnosis and Implications for Clinical Outcomes.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of preoperative radiologic findings in predicting the tumor characteristics and clinical outcomes of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) was evaluated across all risk groups. Methods: In total, 939 PTMC patients, comprising both low-risk and non-low-risk groups, who underwent surgery were enrolled. The preoperative tumor size and lymph node metastasis (LNM) were evaluated by ultrasonography within 6 months before surgery and compared with the postoperative pathologic findings. Discrepancies between the preoperative and postoperative tumor sizes were analyzed, and clinical outcomes were assessed. Results: The agreement rate between radiological and pathological tumor size was approximately 60%. Significant discrepancies were noted, including an increase in tumor size in 24.3% of cases. Notably, in 10.8% of patients, the postoperative tumor size exceeded 1 cm, despite being initially classified as 0.5 to 1.0 cm based on preoperative imaging. A postoperative tumor size >1 cm was associated with aggressive pathologic factors such as multiplicity, microscopic extrathyroidal extension, and LNM, as well as a higher risk of distant metastasis. In 30.1% of patients, LNM was diagnosed after surgery despite not being suspected before the procedure. This group was characterized by smaller metastatic foci and lower risks of distant metastasis or recurrence than patients with LNM detected both before and after surgery. Conclusion: Among all risk groups of PTMCs, a subset showed an increase in tumor size, reaching 1 cm after surgery. These cases require special consideration due to their association with adverse clinical outcomes, including an elevated risk of distant metastasis.

Unraveling the role of the mitochondrial one-carbon pathway in undifferentiated thyroid cancer by multi-omics analyses.

The role of the serine/glycine metabolic pathway (SGP) has recently been demonstrated in tumors; however, the pathological relevance of the SGP in thyroid cancer remains unexplored. Here, we perform metabolomic profiling of 17 tumor-normal pairs; bulk transcriptomics of 263 normal thyroid, 348 papillary, and 21 undifferentiated thyroid cancer samples; and single-cell transcriptomes from 15 cases, showing the impact of mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism in thyroid tumors. High expression of serine hydroxymethyltransferase-2 (SHMT2) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) is associated with low thyroid differentiation scores and poor clinical features. A subpopulation of tumor cells with high mitochondrial one-carbon pathway activity is observed in the single-cell dataset. SHMT2 inhibition significantly compromises mitochondrial respiration and decreases cell proliferation and tumor size in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of the mitochondrial one-carbon pathway in undifferentiated thyroid cancer and suggest that SHMT2 is a potent therapeutic target.

Shortened telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with cumulative radioactive iodine doses in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Telomere length is associated with cancer risk and cancer aggressiveness. Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for thyroid cancer has raised concerns for second primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with high cumulative doses. The association between RAI dose and peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length was examined. METHODS: A total of 425 patients were included who underwent total thyroidectomy and were followed up for at least 1 year with or without RAI treatment. The relative telomere length (RTL) of the patients was assessed via a quantitative polymerase chain reaction amplification method. RAI doses were divided into five groups on the basis of cumulative dose, and a comparison was made among these groups. RESULTS: The number of patients with RAI treatment was 287 (67.5%), and the cumulative RAI dose was 3.33 GBq (range, 1.11-131.35 GBq). The mean RTL was significantly shorter in the highest RAI group (>22.2 GBq) compared to both the no-RAI and lower dose groups. The association between RAI dose and RTL was positive in the lower RAI group (1.1-3.7 GBq) and negative in the highest RAI group in both univariate and multivariate analyses. We observed 59 (13.9%) SPMs and 20 (4.7%) mortalities, and RTL did not show a significant risk effect for all-cause, thyroid cancer-specific, or SPM-specific mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroidectomy, peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length exhibited a significant association with cumulative RAI dose higher than 22.2 GBq. These results suggest the possibility of telomere length shortening in patients who undergo high-dose RAI treatment.

Integrative Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Different Metabolic Phenotypes Based on Molecular Characteristics in Thyroid Cancer.

PURPOSE: Thyroid cancer metabolic characteristics vary depending on the molecular subtype determined by mutational status. We aimed to investigate the molecular subtype-specific metabolic characteristics of thyroid cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: An integrative multi-omics analysis was conducted, incorporating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics data obtained from human tissues representing distinct molecular characteristics of thyroid cancers: BRAF-like (papillary thyroid cancer with BRAFV600E mutation; PTC-B), RAS-like (follicular thyroid cancer with RAS mutation; FTC-R), and ATC-like (anaplastic thyroid cancer with BRAFV600E or RAS mutation; ATC-B or ATC-R). To validate our findings, we employed tissue microarray of human thyroid cancer tissues and performed in vitro analyses of cancer cell phenotypes and metabolomic assays after inducing genetic knockdown. RESULTS: Metabolic properties differed between differentiated thyroid cancers of PTC-B and FTC-R, but were similar in dedifferentiated thyroid cancers of ATC-B/R, regardless of their mutational status. Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) were enriched with the activation of TCA cycle only in FTC-R, whereas one-carbon metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism increased in both PTC-B and FTC-R and to a great extent in ATC-B/R. However, the protein expression levels of the BCAA transporter (SLC7A5) and a key enzyme in one-carbon metabolism (SHMT2) increased in all thyroid cancers and were particularly high in ATC-B/R. Knockdown of SLC7A5 or SHMT2 inhibited the migration and proliferation of thyroid cancer cell lines differently, depending on the mutational status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings define the metabolic properties of each molecular subtype of thyroid cancers and identify metabolic vulnerabilities, providing a rationale for therapies targeting its altered metabolic pathways in advanced thyroid cancer.

Association Between Antibiotic Exposure and Thyroid Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea.

Background: Although recent studies have introduced antibiotics as a potential risk factor for thyroid cancer, further studies are necessary. We examined the association between long-term antibiotic usage and thyroid cancer risk. Methods: This nationwide cohort study investigated 9,804,481 individuals aged 20 years or older who participated in health screening (2005-2006) with follow-up ending on December 31, 2019, using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for thyroid cancer risk according to the cumulative days of antibiotic prescription and the number of antibiotic classes, respectively. A 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching was also performed for analysis. Results: Compared with nonusers of antibiotics, participants prescribed ≥365 days of antibiotics showed an increased risk of thyroid cancer (aHR, 1.71; CI, 1.66-1.78) after adjusting for covariates including age, smoking status, comorbidities including thyroid-related diseases, and the number of head and neck computed tomography scans. Participants prescribed ≥365 days of antibiotics also had a significantly increased risk of thyroid cancer (aHR, 1.37; CI, 1.34-1.40) compared with participants prescribed 1-14 days of antibiotics. Association remained significant in the 1:1 PS-matched cohort. Moreover, compared with nonusers of antibiotics, the 5 or more antibiotic class user group had a higher thyroid cancer risk (aHR, 1.71; CI, 1.65-1.78). Conclusions: Long-term antibiotic prescriptions and an increasing number of antibiotic classes may be associated with a higher risk of thyroid cancer in a duration-dependent manner. The effects of long-term antibiotic exposure on thyroid cancer should be further investigated.

Risk of thyroid cancer associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes: A population-based cohort study.

AIMS: To determine the potential association between the use of either glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, and the risk of thyroid cancer in individuals with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study used claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database, 2014-2020. Two distinct cohorts were established to compare each incretin-based drug with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, chosen as active comparators because of their previous non-association with thyroid cancer, and their common usage as add-on therapy to metformin along with GLP-1RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors. The first cohort included 21 722 new users of GLP-1RAs and 326 993 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors, whereas the second cohort included 904 300 DPP-4 inhibitor new users and 112 017 SGLT2 inhibitor new users. The outcome was the time to incident thyroid cancer. Weighted Cox proportional models were used to estimate hazard ratios of thyroid cancer incidence associated with incretin-based drugs of interest. RESULTS: The use of GLP-1RAs was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (weighted hazard ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.62-1.53) compared with that of SGLT2 inhibitors. Using DPP-4 inhibitors was also not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (0.95, 0.79-1.14) compared with that of SGLT2 inhibitors. No significant effect modifications were observed across subgroup analyses. Sensitivity analyses, including alternative outcome definition analysis of medullary thyroid cancer, were consistent with the primary analysis results. CONCLUSIONS: GLP-1RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors were not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

FAM3C in Cancer-Associated Adipocytes Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Survival and Metastasis.

Adipose tissue within the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in supporting breast cancer progression. In this study, we identified FAM3 metabolism-regulating signaling molecule C (FAM3C) produced by cancer-associated adipocytes (CAA) as a key regulator of tumor progression. FAM3C overexpression in cultured adipocytes significantly reduced cell death in both adipocytes and cocultured breast cancer cells while suppressing markers of fibrosis. Conversely, FAM3C depletion in CAAs resulted in adipocyte-mesenchymal transition (AMT) and increased fibrosis within the TME. Adipocyte FAM3C expression was driven by TGFß signaling from breast cancer cells and was reduced upon treatment with a TGFß-neutralizing antibody. FAM3C knockdown in CAAs early in tumorigenesis in a genetically engineered mouse model of breast cancer significantly inhibited primary and metastatic tumor growth. Circulating FAM3C levels were elevated in patients with metastatic breast cancer compared with those with nonmetastatic breast cancer. These results suggest that therapeutic inhibition of FAM3C expression levels in CAAs during early tumor development could be a promising approach in the treatment of patients with breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: High FAM3C levels in cancer-associated adipocytes contribute to tumor-supportive niches and are tightly associated with metastatic growth, indicating that FAM3C inhibition could be beneficial for treating patients with breast cancer.

Effects of iodine status on thyroid volume and goiter in children living in an iodine-replete area.

Objective: Adequate iodine intake is essential for growing children, and thyroid volume (Tvol) is considered as an indicator of iodine status. We investigated Tvol and goiter using ultrasonography (US) and their association with iodine status in 228 6-year-old children living in Korea. Methods: Iodine status was assessed using urine iodine concentration (UIC) and categorized as deficient (<100 µg/L), adequate (100-299 µg/L), mild excess (300-499 µg/L), moderate excess (500-999 µg/L), and severe excess (≥1000 µg/L). Tvol was measured using US, and a goiter on the US (goiter-US) was defined as Tvol greater than 97th percentile value by age- and body surface area (BSA)-specific international references. Results: The median Tvol was 2.4 mL, larger than the international reference value (1.6 mL). The age- and BSA-specific goiter-US rates were 25.9% (n = 59) and 34.6% (n = 79), respectively. The prevalence of excess iodine was 73.7% (n = 168). As iodine status increased from adequate to severe excess, the goiter-US rate significantly increased (P for trend <0.05). The moderate and severe iodine excess groups showed higher risk of goiter-US (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.1-9.2) and aOR = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.2-8.3), respectively; age-specific criteria) than the iodine-adequate group. Conclusions: Excess iodine was prevalent in Korean children, and their Tvol was higher than the international reference values. Goiter rate was associated with iodine excess, which significantly increased in the moderate and severe iodine excess groups. Further studies are warranted to define optimal iodine intake in children.

US Predictors of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Progression at Active Surveillance.

Background Active surveillance (AS) is an accepted strategy for patients with low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). While previous studies have evaluated the prognostic value of US features, results have been inconsistent. Purpose To determine if US features can help predict tumor progression in patients with low-risk PTMC undergoing AS. Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 1177 participants with PTMC from three hospitals between June 2016 and January 2021. Participants were self-assigned to either immediate surgery or AS, and those with two or more US examinations in the absence of surgery were included in the analysis. A χ2 test was used to compare estimated tumor progression rate at 4 years between participants stratified according to US features. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association of clinical and US features with overall tumor progression and specific progression criteria. Results Among 699 participants included in the analysis, 68 (mean age, 49 years ± 12 [SD]; 40 female participants) showed tumor progression (median follow-up, 41.4 months ± 16 [SD]). Tumor progression was associated with the US features of diffuse thyroid disease (DTD) (hazard ratio [HR], 2.3 [95% CI: 1.4, 3.7]; P = .001) and intratumoral vascularity (HR, 1.7 [95% CI: 1.0, 3.0]; P = .04) and the participant characteristics of male sex (HR, 2.8 [95% CI: 1.7, 4.6]; P < .001), age less than 30 years (HR, 2.9 [95% CI: 1.2, 6.8]; P = .01), and thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 7 µU/mL or higher (HR, 6.9 [95% CI: 2.7, 17.4]; P < .001). The risk of tumor progression was higher for participants with DTD (14%, P = .001) or intratumoral vascularity (14%, P = .02) than for participants without these features (6%). DTD and intratumoral vascularity were associated with tumor enlargement (HR, 2.7 [95% CI: 1.4, 5.1]; P = .002) and new lymph node metastasis (HR, 5.0 [95% CI: 1.3, 19.4]; P = .02), respectively. Conclusion DTD and intratumoral vascularity were associated with an increased risk of tumor progression in participants with PTMC undergoing AS. Clinical trial registration no. NCT02938702 © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Reuter and the review "International Expert Consensus on US Lexicon for Thyroid Nodules" by Durante et al in this issue.

Is Thyroid Dysfunction Associated with Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms? A Population-Based, Nested Case-Control Study from Korea.

Background: Few risk factors for the development of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are known. We investigated the potential role of thyroid diseases in IA development using nationwide real-world data. Methods: A nested case-control study within the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data from 2002 to 2019 was performed. A total of 5335 patients with unruptured IA were matched by age and sex with 80,025 controls at a ratio of 1:15. We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals [CIs] between thyroid diseases and unruptured IA using a multivariable conditional logistic regression model. Results: Tobacco smoking, use of antihypertensive medication, and hypothyroidism were significantly associated with an elevated risk for unruptured IA in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, a history of hypothyroidism was associated with unruptured IA (adjusted OR: 1.46 [CI: 1.26-1.69]). Among patients with hypothyroidism, long-term use of thyroid hormone for >5 years was associated with a reduced risk for unruptured IA (adjusted OR: 0.69 [CI: 0.48-0.99]). A history of hyperthyroidism was associated with a reduced risk for unruptured IAs (adjusted OR: 0.71 [CI: 0.54-0.93]). In secondary analyses of the data according to sex, the respective observed associations between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and the risk of IAs were found to be statistically significant in females but not in males. Conclusions: Hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of unruptured IAs, whereas hyperthyroidism is associated with a reduced risk. Overall, the findings suggest that thyroid hormones may play a protective role in the development of unruptured IAs. Further studies are needed to clarify potential direct causality and the biologic mechanisms relating thyroid dysfunction and unruptured IA.

Modeling the tumor microenvironment of anaplastic thyroid cancer: an orthotopic tumor model in C57BL/6 mice.

Introduction: Securing a well-established mouse model is important in identifying and validating new therapeutic targets for immuno-oncology. The C57BL/6 mouse is one of the most fully characterised immune system of any animal and provides powerful platform for immuno-oncology discovery. An orthotopic tumor model has been established using TBP3743 (murine anaplastic thyroid cancer [ATC]) cells in B6129SF1 hybrid mice, this model has limited data on tumor immunology than C57BL/6 inbred mice. This study aimed to establish a novel orthotopic ATC model in C57BL/6 mice and characterize the tumor microenvironment focusing immunity in the model. Methods: Adapted TBP3743 cells were generated via in vivo serial passaging in C57BL/6 mice. Subsequently, the following orthotopic tumor models were established via intrathyroidal injection: B6129SF1 mice injected with original TBP3743 cells (original/129), B6129SF1 mice injected with adapted cells (adapted/129), and C57BL/6 mice injected with adapted cells (adapted/B6). Results: The adapted TBP3743 cells de-differentiated but exhibited cell morphology, viability, and migration/invasion potential comparable with those of original cells in vitro. The adapted/129 contained a higher Ki-67+ cell fraction than the original/129. RNA sequencing data of orthotopic tumors revealed enhanced oncogenic properties in the adapted/129 compared with those in the original/129. In contrast, the orthotopic tumors grown in the adapted/B6 were smaller, with a lower Ki-67+ cell fraction than those in the adapted/129. However, the oncogenic properties of the tumors within the adapted/B6 and adapted/129 were similar. Immune-related pathways were enriched in the adapted/B6 compared with those in the adapted/129. Flow cytometric analysis of the orthotopic tumors revealed higher cytotoxic CD8+ T cell and monocytic-myeloid-derived suppressor cell fractions in the adapted/B6 compared with the adapted/129. The estimated CD8+ and CD4+ cell fractions in the adapted/B6 were similar to those in human ATCs but negligible in the original/B6. Conclusion: A novel orthotopic tumor model of ATC was established in C57BL/6 mice. Compared with the original B6129SF1 murine model, the novel model exhibited more aggressive tumor cell behaviours and strong immune responses. We expect that this novel model contributes to the understanding tumor microenvironment and provides the platform for drug development.

FDG uptake reflects an immune-enriched subtype of thyroid cancer: Clinical implications of imaging-based molecular characterization.

INTRODUCTION: Iodine and FDG uptakes have been established as methods to define the biological properties of thyroid cancer. As various cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) affect tumor metabolism, we investigated the association between glucose metabolism in thyroid cancer and the TME using transcriptomic analyses. METHODS: We used F-18 FDG PET and RNA sequencing data of thyroid cancer to find associations between TME cell types and glucose metabolism. In addition, publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data of papillary thyroid cancer was used to investigate glucose metabolism in cell types of the TME. The correlations between the FDG uptake and biological properties of the TME, including glucose metabolism and tumor differentiation score (TDS) were evaluated. Estimation of the proportions of immune and cancer cells (EPIC) was performed. The biological properties of each cell type were also assessed in the single-cell RNA sequencing data. RESULTS: FDG uptake showed a positive correlation with the enrichment score of macrophages and glycolysis activity. In single-cell RNA sequencing, immune cells had both high glucose transporters (GLUTs) and glycolysis signatures, while thyrocytes including cancer cells showed relatively low GLUTs and glycolysis signatures, suggesting that FDG uptake mainly occurred in immune cells of the TME. Moreover, the high GLUTs of myeloid cells were negatively associated with TDS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that thyroid cancer with high FDG uptake can be mediated by enriched immune cells of the TME. We suggest that FDG uptake in thyroid cancer could be a marker for the immune-rich type and provide clinical implications for treatment stratification.

Prevalence, Treatment Status, and Comorbidities of Hyperthyroidism in Korea from 2003 to 2018: A Nationwide Population Study.

BACKGRUOUND: This study aimed to investigate the changes of incidence and treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism from 2003 to 2018 and explore the treatment-related complications and concomitant comorbidities in South Korea using data from the National Health Insurance Service. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study. Hyperthyroidism was defined as a case having two or more diagnostic codes of thyrotoxicosis, with antithyroid drug intake for more than 6 months. RESULTS: The average age-standardized incidence of hyperthyroidism from 2003 to 2018 was 42.23 and 105.13 per 100,000 men and women, respectively. In 2003 to 2004, hyperthyroidism was most often diagnosed in patients in their 50s, but in 2017 to 2018, people were most often diagnosed in their 60s. During the entire period, about 93.7% of hyperthyroidism patients were prescribed with antithyroid drugs, and meanwhile, the annual rates of ablation therapy decrease from 7.68% in 2008 to 4.56% in 2018. Antithyroid drug-related adverse events, mainly agranulocytosis and acute hepatitis, as well as complications of hyperthyroidism such as atrial fibrillation or flutter, osteoporosis, and fractures, occurred more often in younger patients. CONCLUSION: In Korea, hyperthyroidism occurred about 2.5 times more in women than in men, and antithyroid drugs were most preferred as the first-line treatment. Compared to the general population, hyperthyroid patients may have a higher risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter, osteoporosis, and fractures at a younger age.

The association between vitamin D supplementation and the long-term prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer patients: a retrospective observational cohort study with propensity score matching.

Objective: Benefits of vitamin D in various cancers have been reported, but its effects on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have not been established. We aimed to analyze the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the prognosis of DTC. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on 9,739 DTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy from January 1997 to December 2016. Mortality was classified as all-cause, cancer-related, or thyroid cancer-related. Patients were divided into the "VD group" (supplemented with vitamin D) and the "control group" (without vitamin D supplementation). Propensity score matching was performed in a 1:1 ratio according to age, sex, tumor size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and lymph node metastasis (LNM) status, and 3,238 patients were assigned to each group. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed. Results: The follow-up period was 10.7 ± 4.2 years. Clinicopathological variables between two groups were similar except for all-cause (p<0.001) and total cancer death (p=0.001). From the Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test, "VD group" had significantly favorable all-cause (p<0.001) and total cancer mortality (p=0.003), but similar thyroid cancer mortality (p=0.23). In Cox regression, vitamin D intake reduced the risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.617, p=0.001) and total cancer mortality (HR, 0.668, p=0.016) but had no effect on thyroid cancer mortality. Discussion/conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation was positively associated with all-cause and total cancer mortality in DTC and might be a modifiable prognostic factor for improved survival. Further research will be needed to clarify the effect of vitamin D supplementation on DTC.

IFI16/Ifi202 released from breast cancer induces secretion of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages and promotes tumor growth.

In tumor microenvironment (TME), macrophages trigger and maintain inflammatory responses that promoting tumor progression. Many cellular proteins are secreted from tumors and modulate their own TME by modulating macrophage phenotypes. Recently, we reported that interferon-γ-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), which was identified as an innate immune DNA sensor recognizing foreign DNA, triggered type Ⅰ interferon responses in breast cancer (BC). However, whether IFI16 was released from BC and affects TME has not been studied. Here, we report that IFI16 and its mouse homolog Ifi202 were released from BC cells, but not from normal epithelial cells. Ifi202 induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and Tumor necrosis factor-α from macrophages via binding toll-like receptor 2 and activating downstream signaling pathway. Growth of allografted mouse BC 4T1 lacking Ifi202 was suppressed and accompanied with increased infiltration and cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T lymphocytes. Further, IFI16 was detected in sera of patients with BC. High expression level of IFI16 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with BC. Taken together, our findings suggest a novel role of IFI16/Ifi202 in TME, that elicits tumor promoting inflammation and thereby shaping immunosuppressive TME in BC.

Efficacy of selenium supplementation for mild-to-moderate Graves' ophthalmopathy in a selenium-sufficient area (SeGOSS trial): study protocol for a phase III, multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic effect of selenium has been demonstrated in mild Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) in a European region where selenium status is suboptimal. However, there is a lack of evidence to support selenium use in selenium-sufficient areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of selenium in mild-to-moderate GO in selenium-sufficient South Korea. METHODS: The SeGOSS trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label trial in South Korea. Eighty-four patients aged 19 years or older with mild-to-moderate GO will be randomized to receive either vitamin B complex alone or vitamin B complex with selenium for 6 months with three monthly follow-up visits. The primary outcome is comparison of the improvement in quality of life at 6 months from baseline between the control and selenium groups. The secondary outcomes are intergroup differences in changes in quality of life at 3 months, clinical activity of GO at 3 and 6 months, thyroid autoantibody titers at 3 and 6 months, and the response rate at 3 and 6 months from baseline. Quality of life will be measured by questionnaire for patients with GO, and the clinical activity of GO will be evaluated by the clinical activity score (CAS). A positive response is defined as either changes in the CAS < 0 or the changes in the GO-QOL score ≥ 6. DISCUSSION: The SeGOSS study will evaluate the therapeutic potential of selenium for mild-to-moderate GO in a selenium-sufficient area and provide support in tailoring better treatment for GO. TRIAL REGISTRATION: KCT0004040. Retrospectively registered on 5 June 2019. https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/14160 .

Relationship of iodine excess with thyroid function in 6-year-old children living in an iodine-replete area.

Background: Adequate iodine intake is essential for growing children, as both deficient and excessive iodine status can result in thyroid dysfunction. We investigated the iodine status and its association with thyroid function in 6-year-old children from South Korea. Methods: A total of 439 children aged 6 (231 boys and 208 girls) were investigated from the Environment and Development of Children cohort study. The thyroid function test included free thyroxine (FT4), total triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Urine iodine status was evaluated using urine iodine concentration (UIC) in morning spot urine and categorized into iodine deficient (< 100 µg/L), adequate (100-199 µg/L), more than adequate (200-299 µg/L), mild excessive (300-999 µg/L), and severe excessive (≥ 1000 µg/L) groups. The estimated 24-hour urinary iodine excretion (24h-UIE) was also calculated. Results: The median TSH level was 2.3 µIU/mL, with subclinical hypothyroidism detected in 4.3% of patients without sex differences. The median UIC was 606.2 µg/L, with higher levels in boys (684 µg/L vs. 545 µg/L, p = 0.021) than girls. Iodine status was categorized as deficient (n = 19, 4.3%), adequate (n = 42, 9.6%), more than adequate (n = 54, 12.3%), mild excessive (n = 170, 38.7%), or severe excessive (n = 154, 35.1%). After adjusting for age, sex, birth weight, gestational age, body mass index z-score, and family history, both the mild and severe excess groups showed lower FT4 (ß = - 0.04, p = 0.032 for mild excess; ß = - 0.04, p = 0.042 for severe excess) and T3 levels (ß = - 8.12, p = 0.009 for mild excess; ß = - 9.08, p = 0.004 for severe excess) compared to the adequate group. Log-transformed estimated 24h-UIE showed a positive association with log-transformed TSH levels (ß = 0.04, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Excess iodine was prevalent (73.8%) in 6-year-old Korean children. Excess iodine was associated with a decrease in FT4 or T3 levels and an increase in TSH levels. The longitudinal effects of iodine excess on later thyroid function and health outcomes require further investigation.

Surgical Outcomes in Patients With Low-risk Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma From MAeSTro Study: Immediate Operation Versus Delayed Operation After Active SurveillanceA Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate surgical, and clinical outcomes in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) according to treatment options [immediate operation (IOP) vs delayed operation after active surveillance (AS) (DOP)]. BACKGROUND: AS has been adopted as an alternative to immediate surgery in patients with low-risk PTMC. Although some patients undergo surgery during AS, there is little information on surgical, and clinical outcomes after delayed operation after AS. METHODS: A multicenter prospective cohort study including 1177 patients was conducted at 3 tertiary hospitals in Korea from June 2016 to January 2020. Patients with low-risk PTMC were enrolled. The participants were self-assigned into AS or IOP, and during AS, the patients underwent surgery if there were signs of disease progression or if the patient's choice changed. RESULTS: A total of 516 patients underwent operation; 384 (74.4%) in the IOP group and 132 (25.6%) in the DOP group. Compared with the IOP group, the DOP group was significantly associated with a larger tumor size ( P =0.002), higher rates of lymphatic invasion ( P =0.002), and multifocality ( P =0.008). However, the rates of total thyroidectomy, postoperative hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord palsy did not differ significantly between the groups ( P = 0.283, P =0.184, and P =0.284, respectively). Of the 132 patients in the DOP group, disease progression was present in 39 (29.5%) patients. The DOP group with disease progression had a significantly higher rate of lymph node metastasis ( P =0.021) and radioiodine therapy ( P =0.025) than the DOP group without disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that AS might be considered an alternative treatment option for patients with low-risk PTMC regarding the extent of thyroidectomy and postoperative complications in the DOP group. To assess oncologic outcomes, long-term follow-up will be needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02938702.

Circulating biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in bone metastasis.

Bone is a frequent site of metastasis for multiple types of solid tumors in organs such as prostate, breast, lung, etc., accounting for significant morbidities and mortalities of afflicted patients. One of the major problems of bone metastasis is lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis and for monitoring therapeutic responses. Medical imaging modalities such as computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radioactive isotope-based bone scans are currently standard clinical practices, yet these imaging techniques are limited to detect early lesions or to accurately monitor the metastatic disease progression during standard and/or experimental therapies. Accordingly, development of novel blood biomarkers rationalizes extensive basic research and clinical development. This review article covers the up-to-date information on protein- and cell-based biomarkers of bone metastasis that are currently used in the clinical practices and also are under development.