Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is the most common malignant tumor of the endocrine system. Our study is aimed to investigate the role of the α- and γ-Klotho genes in the development and progression of DTC.
The expression of the α- and γ-Klotho genes was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in thyroid tissues of 40 DTC patients and 40 age- and sex-matched subjects diagnosed as goiter and included as a control group. The demographic, laboratory and clinicopathological data of the subjects were reviewed to detect their association with the Klotho genes.
The α-Klotho gene expression was statistically significantly lower in DTC tissues compared to goiter tissues (
Our study showed the role of the α-Klotho gene as a potential novel biomarker for discrimination between DTC and goiter tissues. Low α-Klotho mRNA expression was found to be a significant predictor for the likelihood of DTC on top of goiter, as well as higher stages of this tumor.