Study of cdkn2a gene in patients with thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

Thyroid tumors are the most common malignant neoplasms of the endocrine system and have become increasingly frequent in the population. The p14ARF and p16INK4A proteins, encoded by the CDKN2A gene, play an important role in controlling the cell cycle. Structural and functional alterations of these tumor suppressive proteins are potential risk factors for the development of neoplasias. The present study aims to evaluate the clinical utility of p14ARF and p16INK4A immunohistochemistry protein expression in the detection of CDKN2A polymorphisms in patients with thyroid nodules. We will study 200 patients including 100 differentiated thyroid carcinomas and 200 controls. The polymorphisms will be evaluated using TaqMan SNP Genotyping (7500 Real-Time PCR Systems) and p14ARF and p16INK4A proteins by the immunohistochemistry process. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data will be obtained from the respective patient records. (AU)