Expression of BANCR promotes papillary thyroid cancer by targeting thyroid stimulating hormone receptor.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common form of non-medullary thyroid cancer, accounting for ~80% of all cases of thyroid cancer. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of BRAF-activated long noncoding RNA (BANCR) in the development of PTC. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), the mRNA expression levels of BANCR, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) and cyclin D1 between PTC and benign control thyroid nodule tissue samples from 60 patients were determined. Using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, the expression levels of TSHR and cyclin D1 mRNA and protein were determined in cells transfected with BANCR-small interfering (si)RNA. An MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of BANCR knockdown on the proliferation and cell cycle distribution of IHH-4 PTC cells. The expression of BANCR, TSHR and cyclin D1 was increased in the PTC group compared with the control group based on the RT-qPCR data. The transfection of IHH-4 cells with BANCR-siRNA induced the inhibition of TSHR and cyclin D1 expression compared with a transfection control. In addition, the proliferation of the IHH-4 cells transfected with BANCR-siRNA was suppressed, relative to the transfection control, and cells arrested in the G0/G1 phase, potentially due to the inhibition of the expression of cyclin D1. The data suggested that the expression of BANCR may promote the development of malignant thyroid nodules via the modulation of TSHR expression and its downstream effector, cyclin D1.

Application experience of intraoperative neuromonitoring in thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to summarize the experience of intraoperative neuromonitoring system for monitoring and protection of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery. METHODS: There were 220 cases in this study, male 53, female 167, mean age 38.2 years old. 85 cases in the study had thyroid cancer, 19 cases had thyroid benign tumor, 90 cases had thyroid goiter, 3 cases had Hashimoto's diseases, and 23 cases had hyperthyroidism. The tumor diameters were over than 5 cm in 113 cases. In the procedure, two recording needle electrodes were put into cricothyroid muscle; one stimulator electrodes was explored in tracheo-asophageal groove, if recurrent laryngeal nerves were right there or near, doctors could see the electromyogram and hear the toot honk. With careful dissection, recurrent laryngeal nerve could be found out till explored into the larynx site. RESULTS: 207 cases (278 sizes) of 220 were finished, electromyogram was not drawn out in 13 cases; 9 cases were false-negative because of system and anesthesia questions; needle electrodes cannot be put in properly in 4 cases because of cricothyroid muscle cancer invasion. No permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis occurred, 2 cases with transient nerve paralysis recovered in one month. CONCLUSION: The intraoperative neuromonitoring system can avoid damage of the recurrent laryngeal nerves when exposing the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the whole operation, therefore, with less medical complications.