Prognostic value of the miRNA-27a and PPAR/RXRa signaling axis in patients with thyroid carcinoma

Abstract

The authors aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of miRNA-27a (miR-27a), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha/gamma (PPARa/γ) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRa) tissue expression in patients with thyroid carcinoma. The expression levels were quantified in 174 archived thyroid specimens using real-time quantitative PCR. Downregulation of miR-27a was associated with lymph node stage and multifocality. PPARa expression was associated with histopathological type, tumor size and lymph node invasion. Moreover, RXRa expression was lower in patients who underwent total/subtotal thyroidectomy or received radioactive iodine treatment. Patients with upregulated miR-27a and downregulated RXRa showed a higher frequency of advanced lymph node stage and relapse by cluster analysis. Both miR-27a and PPARa/RXRa showed association with different poor prognostic indices in thyroid cancer patients.