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Review
. 2019 Feb 25:11:1829-1841.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S188661. eCollection 2019.

Oncometabolites as biomarkers in thyroid cancer: a systematic review

Fatemeh Khatami  1 , Moloud Payab  2 , Masoumeh Sarvari  3 , Kambiz Gilany  3   4   5 , Bagher Larijani  6 , Babak Arjmand  7 , Seyed Mohammad Tavangar  1   8
Affiliations
Review

Oncometabolites as biomarkers in thyroid cancer: a systematic review

Fatemeh Khatami et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid cancer (TC) is an important common endocrine malignancy, and its incidence has increased in the past decades. The current TC diagnosis and classification tools are fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and histological examination following thyroidectomy. The metabolite profile alterations of thyroid cells (oncometabolites) can be considered for current TC diagnosis and management protocols.

Methods: This systematic review focuses on metabolite alterations within the plasma, FNA specimens, and tissue of malignant TC contrary to benign, goiter, or healthy TC samples. A systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted, and the final 31 studies investigating metabolite biomarkers of TC were included.

Results: A total of 15 targeted studies and 16 untargeted studies revealed several potential metabolite signatures of TC such as glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, 2-keto-d-gluconic acid and rhamnose, malonic acid and inosine, cholesterol and arachidonic acid, glycosylation (immunoglobulin G [IgG] Fc-glycosylation), outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (TOMM20), monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), choline, choline derivatives, myo-/scyllo-inositol, lactate, fatty acids, several amino acids, cell membrane phospholipids, estrogen metabolites such as 16 alpha-OH E1/2-OH E1 and catechol estrogens (2-OH E1), and purine and pyrimidine metabolites, which were suggested as the TC oncometabolite.

Conclusion: Citrate was suggested as the first most significant biomarker and lactate as the second one. Further research is needed to confirm these biomarkers as the TC diagnostic oncometabolite.

Keywords: TC; biomarkers; oncometabolites; systematic review; thyroid cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Several metabolic pathways in normal and cancer cells. Abbreviation: TCA, tricarboxylic acid.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow diagram of study selection for the current systematic review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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