ZEB1 level in thyroid papillary carcinoma tissue, metastasis, blood mononuclear cells and plasma

Background. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process in the dissemination of tumor cells. Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a central transcriptional regulator of EMT, a cellular program that underlies tumor invasion, metastatic dissemination, and therapeutic resistance. Evidence indicates that aberrant activation of ZEB1 promotes epithelial plasticity, invasive behavior, and metastatic competence of thyroid cancer cells. The purpose of the study was to compare the expression of ZEB1 in conditionally normal thyroid tissue, benign neoplasms, tumor tissue of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and metastasis, as well as in cells and blood plasma of patients with PTC. Materials and methods. Blood plasma, mononuclear cells, postoperative samples of tumor tissue, metastasis, and conditionally normal tissue were obtained from the surgical department of the Institute’s clinic. The ZEB1 concentration was determined using enzyme immunoassay kits. Statistical analysis and data presentation were performed using Origin 2019b software. Results. The amount of ZEB1 in tumor tissue exceeds its concentration in conditionally normal (histologically unchanged) tissue by more than 5 times. Approximately the same ratio in the amount of ZEB1 between normal and tumor tissues is observed in samples from patients with РТС and metastasis. The concentration of transcription factors in metastasis exceeds the norm by almost 10 times. The amount of ZEB1 in goiter tissue does not differ from conditionally normal tissue of РТС patients but it was significantly different from tumor tissue of carcinoma. Conclusions. Our data indicate significant differences in ZEB1 concentration between conditionally normal and tumor thyroid tissues. The level of ZEB1 in metastasis was even higher. It should be emphasized that both in blood cells and plasma of metastatic PТC patients, the level of ZEB1 was significantly higher than in healthy people and individuals with PТC without metastasis. The latter circumstance can become the basis for the preoperative prognosis of the development of metastasis in PTC patients.