Key result
Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer had significantly lower circulating levels of Ang-1 (37,790 pg/ml) compared to healthy controls (47,716 pg/ml, p=0.014), with similar reductions seen in benign disease.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to investigate whether the presence of benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease affects circulating angiogenesis cytokine levels.
Are circulating levels of angiogenesis cytokines altered in patients with benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease compared to healthy controls?
Observational (n=196)
No
Are circulating levels of angiogenesis cytokines altered in patients with benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease compared to healthy controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 37790% vs 47716%
p-value: p=0.014
Decreased circulating levels of Ang-1 are associated with the presence of benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease, and these levels significantly increase following surgical removal of the affected thyroid gland.
Lower Ang-1 may mark nodular thyroid disease but should not yet change practice; prospective studies needed to define diagnostic value.
Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease affects levels of circulating angiogenesis cytokines. Methods In this study we investigated levels of angiopoietin – 1 and − 2 (Ang-1 and Ang-2 respectively), vascular endothelial growth factor –A (VEGF-A), galectin-3 (Gal-3), urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and plasminogen activation inhibitor – 1 (PAI-1) in 40 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), 45 with thyroid papillary microcarcinoma (mPTC), 53 patients with multinodular goiter (MNG) and 58 controls. Six months after surgery 28 patients resubmitted blood samples. Results: Statistically significant lower levels of Ang-1 were observed in DTC, mPTC and MNG patients compared to controls (p < .05, p < .05 and p < .001 respectively). No significant differences were observed in the levels of the other factors. A significant increase in Ang-1 levels (p < .05) was documented in the subset of patients that underwent thyroidectomy. Thyroidectomy did not influence levels of the other factors. Conclusion Our results suggest an association between low levels of Ang-1 and the presence of underlying benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease., while levels of the other studied cytokines are not associated.
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Nixon et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease (n=196). Benign or malignant nodular thyroid disease vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Circulating levels of Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) in pg/ml (p=0.014). Patients with differentiated thyroid cancer had significantly lower circulating levels of Ang-1 (37,790 pg/ml) compared to healthy controls (47,716 pg/ml, p=0.014), with similar reductions seen in benign disease.
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