Proteomic analysis of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the context of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

To analyze the proteomic characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the context of Hashimoto's thyroiditis using mass spectrometry and to screen the differential proteins detected to identify potential biomarkers. Postoperative paraffin specimens were obtained from six patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: three with papillary thyroid carcinoma and three with benign nodules. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by qualitative and quantitative analyses using mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. Functional enrichment clustering and protein interaction analyses were performed on differentially expressed proteins. Finally, key proteins were screened and immunohistochemical verification was performed on an additional 18 tumor tissue and 17 benign nodule paraffin sections. A total of 72 upregulated and 21 downregulated differentially expressed proteins were identified. THBS2 and COL12A1 were selected using bioinformatics analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that COL12A1 is a promising candidate as a specific tumor marker worthy of further investigation. The proteins were differentially expressed in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis with papillary thyroid carcinoma compared to those with benign nodules. COL12A1, as a key molecule with potential differential diagnostic value, provides a promising target for future research and validation.