Panel of SNPs to assess the risk and prognosis of thyroid carcinoma in a mixed population

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine tumor and accounts for 1% of all malignant neoplasms. Genotyping studies look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may be related to increased risk of TC and worst prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate a panel of SNPs which could be associated with predisposition and prognosis of TC in a mixed population from northeastern Brazil. Thyroid biopsies were selected from 279 TC patients and peripheral blood samples were collected from 301 healthy blood donor volunteers. Genotyping of a panel of 84 SNPs was performed in both groups using the MassARRAY SNP system. The rs10759944, rs7850258, rs116909374 and rs34566348 SNPs were associated with the risk of developing TC. Regarding the factors associated with TC prognosis, it was observed that rs2236497 was associated with risk of papillary carcinoma and rs1571443 was associated with a risk of follicular carcinoma. In addition, rs31872 was associated with protection against the development of tumors according to size. When evaluating the association of SNPs with tumor staging, rs10238549 was associated with the risk of developing stages I and II. On the other hand, rs7800391 was associated with protection from stage I and II development. Furthermore, rs949908 was associated with risk of persistent TC, and rs487880 was associated with a risk of developing metastasis. The present study is a pioneer in a mixed population of northeastern Brazil, and suggests the association of SNPs as predisposition and prognostic markers of TC in this population.