MicroRNA as prognostic markers of thyroid carcinoma

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant endocrine tumor, with a rising incidence worldwide. Despite a generally favorable prognosis, a subset of patients experiences aggressive disease progression and a tendency for recurrence, highlighting the need to identify prognostic markers. The aim — to identify candidate miRNAs that could serve as prognostic indicators of aggressive TC behavior and treatment outcomes. Materials and methods. The analysis was conducted using the UALCAN public database, which provides expression data of miRNAs in both normal and tumor thyroid tissues. Expression levels were compared between normal and malignant samples, as well as among patient subgroups stratified by clinicopathological characteristics, including age, tumor stage, histological type, and lymph node status. Results. Elevated expression of miR-15a-5p, miR-146b-5p, miR-221-5p, and miR-222-3p, as well as reduced levels of miR-199b-5p and miR-484, were found to be significantly associated with the presence of malignancy and tumor aggressiveness. Notably, a inverse correlation was observed between miR-199b-5p expression and patient survival rates, indicating its potential role as a favorable prognostic marker in thyroid carcinoma. Conclusions. A panel of microRNAs (15a-5p, 146b-5p, 199b-5p, 221-5p, 222-3p, and 484) has been identified, demonstrating diagnostic and prognostic potential and may be used in clinical practice for the differential diagnosis of malignant growth in the thyroid gland.