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Metabolomics as a potential method for predicting thyroid malignancy in children and adolescents

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Abstract

Purpose

To identify potential metabolic biomarkers for distinguishing malignant and benign thyroid nodules in children and adolescents using a metabolomics approach.

Methods

A total of 96 consecutive patients (median age 14.29 ± 2.31 years, range 9–18 years) who underwent thyroidectomy and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients were assigned to the papillary thyroid carcinoma and benign thyroid adenoma groups according to postoperative pathologic biopsy. Plasma samples were preoperatively collected, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify differential metabolites.

Results

Papillary thyroid carcinoma could be distinguished not only from healthy serum but also from benign thyroid adenoma according to the metabolic profiles. A total of 17 metabolites were identified. Compared with those from benign thyroid adenoma patients and healthy controls, the metabolites from papillary thyroid carcinoma patients, including leucine, lactate, alanine, glycine, acetate, lysine and choline, were increased, while glucose was decreased.

Conclusion

The metabolomics method based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance has great potential for identifying papillary thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents. Lactate and glycine may be used as potential serum markers for the diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by Youth Research Project in the Health System and Birth Control Commission of Fujian Province (2017-2-22); Startup Fund for scientific research, Fujian Medical University (Grant number: 2017XQ1037); Startup Fund for science and technology innovation, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital (Grant number: YCXB 18-07)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Internal Medicine, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China

    Qing Zhou & Guang-Hua Liu

  2. Department of Thyroid and Vascular Surgery, Minimal Invasive Center, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China

    Li-Yong Zhang & Chao Xie

  3. Ultrasound Department, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China

    Mei-Lian Zhang

  4. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China

    Yun-Jin Wang

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  1. Qing Zhou
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  2. Li-Yong Zhang
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  3. Chao Xie
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  4. Mei-Lian Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guang-Hua Liu.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Research involving human participants

This study was approved by the Institutional Medical Ethical Review Committee of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital in Fuzhou, China (2017QH037).

Informed consent

All the plasma specimens were obtained from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, and written informed consent was obtained from the parents before sample collection.

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Zhou, Q., Zhang, LY., Xie, C. et al. Metabolomics as a potential method for predicting thyroid malignancy in children and adolescents. Pediatr Surg Int 36, 145–153 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-019-04584-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-019-04584-0

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