ObjectiveTo investigate the expressions of chemokine receptor CXCR4 and CCR7 in thyroid cancer and its clinicopathologic significance. MethodsFifty-five patients with thyroid cancer were selected in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from 2006 to 2009, and 30 patients with thyroid adenoma were selected in the same hospital during 2009. The expressions of CXCR4 and CCR7 were detected in all the selected cases samples (including thyroid cancer and thyroid adenoma) by immunohistochemical SP technique. ResultsThe positive expression rates of CXCR4 and CCR7 in the thyroid cancer were higher than those in the thyroid adenoma (Plt;0.01), which in the thyroid cancer with clinical stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ were higher than those of the clinical stage Ⅰ+Ⅱ (Plt;0.05). The positive expression rate of CCR7 in the thyroid cancer with lymph node metastasis was higher than that of the thyroid cancer without lymph node metastasis (Plt;0.05), which of CXCR4 in the patients with thyroid cancer was independent of lymph node metastasis (Pgt;0.05), and which of CXCR4 and CCR7 were also independent of the age and gender of the patients with thyroid cancer (Pgt;0.05). The positive expressions of CCR7 and CXCR4 in all the patients with thyroid cancer was positively correlated (rs=0.491, P=0.000). ConclusionsCXCR4 and CCR7 are involved in the coordination of thyroid cancer progression. They can be used as prognostic indicators of thyroid cancer. High expression of CCR7 is prone to lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.
Objective To determine the expression levels of micro RNA (miR)-196, miR-217, and transforming growth factor β receptor 1 (TGFβR1) protein in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues and its adjacent tissues, to reveal the relationship among them in the pathological process of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 30 cases’ pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues and its adjacent tissues were collected. The expression levels of miR-196b and miR-217 in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and adjacent tissues were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction method, the level of TGFβR1 protein was detected by Western blotting method. Results In the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues, the expression levels of miR-196b and TGFβR1 protein were significantly higher than those of adjacent tissues (P<0.001), while the level of miR-217 was significantly lower than that of adjacent tissues (P=0.001). For further detection, the level of miR-196b in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly positively correlated with the expression level of TGFβR1 protein (r=0.803, P<0.001), while the expression level of miR-217 was negatively correlated with the expression level of TGFβR1 protein (r=–0.839, P<0.001). Conclusions Expression TGFβR1 protein in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues may be bi-directionally regulated by miR-196b and miR-217. This two-way regulating mechanism may be one of the important mechanisms for restricting the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, implying a potential target for treatment of pancreatic cancer.