The Implications for Clinical Practice of Circulating miR144-3p and miR190a-5p as Promising Diagnostic Biomarkers for Thyroid Nodule Differentiation

Sep 21, 2026

Thyroid cancer, a common endocrine malignancy, often manifests as thyroid nodules whose benign versus malignant status remains difficult to determine. This cross-sectional case-control study evaluated a 17-miRNA circulating panel to distinguish benign nodules, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and normal thyroid conditions. Quantification was performed by qRT-PCR in 60 blood samples (25 PTC, 24 benign lesions, 11 controls), identifying miR144-3p and miR190a-5p as key discriminatory markers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and Aims

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Thyroid cancer burden and epidemiology

Risk factors and genetic mutations

Papillary thyroid carcinoma prevalence

Corresponding Author and Affiliations

The Implications for Clinical Practice of Circulating miR144-3p and miR190a-5p as Promising Diagnostic Biomarkers for Thyroid Nodule Differentiation Basima Hassan, MS 1, Mohamed M. Omran, PhD2, Magdy M. Youssef, MD 1, Manar Refaat, PhD 1, Amr Abouzid, MD3, Abdel Hady A. Abdel Wahab, PhD4, and Yasser M. Bakr, PhD4 Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment Volume 23: 1-11 © The Author(s) 2024 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/15330338241291637](DOI: 10.1177/15330338241291637)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/15330338241291637)[journals.sagepub.com/home/tct](journals.sagepub.com/home/tct) Abstract Background and Aims: Thyroid cancer, a prevalent endocrine malignancy, often presents as thyroid nodules, whose benign or malignant nature is challenging to determine. This study aims to identify circulating miRNA panels that may distinguish between benign nodules, papillary thyroid cancer, and normal thyroid conditions, building on extensive research into miRNAs as potential thyroid cancer biomarkers. Materials and Methods: As a cross-sectional case-control study the study revealed the quantiﬁcation of the 17-miRNA panel was evaluated using qRT-PCR method on 60 blood samples, comprising 25 patients diagnosed with PTC, 24 patients with benign lesions, and 11 healthy controls. Results: We found that seven miRNAs, including miR144-3p and miR190a-5p, exhibited statistically signiﬁcant variations in their expression levels, and miR144-3p exhibited the most superior diagnostic capability in distinguishing between malignant and healthy groups, as well as between benign and healthy groups. The concurrent utilization of miR144-3p, miR148a-3p, and miR190a-5p resulted in an enhancement of sensitivity from 76% to 88%. Conclusion: Our study suggests that miR144-3p and miR190a-5p exhibit potential as biomarkers for distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodules and healthy individuals, and further investigation is necessary to evaluate their clinical signiﬁcance. Keywords circulating miRNA, miR-144-3p, miR-190a-5p, thyroid cancer, PTC, biomarkers Received: May 25, 2024; Revised: September 9, 2024; Accepted: September 18, 2024. Introduction Thyroid cancer is a neoplasm originating from the thyroid gland’s cellular components. According to Sung et al, thyroid cancer is widely recognized as the prevailing form of endocrine malignancy, accounting for many cases and fatalities globally in 2020, with an estimated 567 000 new incidences and 41 000 deaths. The global prevalence of thyroid cancer has exhibited a notable upwards trend in recent decades.1 Thyroid cancer exhibits a higher prevalence among females than males and is characterized by a female-to-male ratio of approximately 3:1 . The prevalence of thyroid cancer indicates geographical disparities, with developed nations such as the United States, Canada, and Japan displaying elevated rates.2 According to Vaccarella et al, there has been a global rise in the prevalence of thyroid cancer, with an average annual percentage increase of approximately 5% between 1990 and 2016 . The rise in occurrence is believed to be attributed to enhanced diagnostic methodologies, heightened monitoring efforts, and the inﬂuence of environmental variables.3 1 Biochemistry Division, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt 2 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt 3 Department of Surgical Oncology, Oncology Center, Mansoura University (OCMU), Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt 4 National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Corresponding Author: Mohamed M. Omran, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. Email: [drmmomran@science.helwan.edu.eg](drmmomran@science.helwan.edu.eg) Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study?

To identify circulating miRNA panels that can distinguish between benign nodules, papillary thyroid cancer, and normal thyroid conditions.

How were the miRNAs measured and in how many samples?

The 17-miRNA panel was quantified using qRT-PCR on 60 blood samples, including 25 PTC patients, 24 with benign lesions, and 11 healthy controls.

Which miRNAs showed statistically significant differences, and what was their diagnostic value?

Seven miRNAs differed significantly, with miR144-3p and miR190a-5p highlighted; miR144-3p showed the strongest diagnostic capability for separating malignant from healthy and benign from healthy groups.

Sep 21, 2026

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