PYGO2 and MAML1 as the early stage tumor markers in papillary thyroid cancer patients

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) represents the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. Although the majority of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients have a favorable prognosis, a considerable proportion experience tumor relapse. Therefore, clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying PTC development is necessary to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic markers. NOTCH and WNT signaling pathways have pivotal roles in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumor progression in PTC. MAML1 and PYGO2 act as transcriptional co-activators within the NOTCH and WNT pathways, respectively. In the present study, we investigated the probable association between MAML1 and PYGO2 expression levels and the clinicopathological characteristics of PTC patients. Sixty paraffin-embedded PTC tumors and corresponding normal tissues were collected to assess the levels of MAML1 and PYGO2 mRNA expressions using the real time-PCR method. Early stage (I/II) tumors had significant higher levels of PYGO2 expressions compared with advanced tumor stages (III/IV) in PTC patients ( p = 0.04). PTC tumors with extra thyroidal invasion had also significant lower levels of PYGO2 expressions compared with tumors without invasion ( p = 0.034). Early stage (I/II) tumors had significant MAML1 up regulations in comparison with advanced stage (III/IV) tumors ( p = 0.038). A significant correlation was observed between MAML1 expression and focality among female PTC patients ( p = 0.025). There was also a significant direct correlation between the levels of MAML1 and PYGO2 expressions in PTC patients ( p = 0.013). It seems that MAML1 and PYGO2 are involved in the early stages of PTC development and can be introduced as the early stage diagnostic markers among PTC patients.