Synergistic Upregulation Of BRAF^V600E And MET As Diagnostic And Prognostic Biomarkers In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Among endocrine cancers, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common and is predominantly driven by the oncogenic BRAF^V600E mutation. Although MET is well studied in other cancers, its role in thyroid cancer progression and diagnosis remains underexplored. This study investigates the combined expression of BRAF^V600E and MET and evaluates their potential as molecular biomarkers.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 44 patients, including 22 with malignant thyroid cancer (PTC) and 22 with non-malignant thyroid disorders. Gene expression of BRAF^V600E and MET was quantified via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Correlation analyses assessed relationships between gene expression and clinical variables, including tumor grade, inflammatory markers.

Results: Expression of BRAF^V600E and MET was significantly elevated in malignant thyroid tissues, with fold changes of 330% and 286%, respectively. A moderate direct correlation between BRAF^V600E and MET expression was observed (r=0.67, p=0.0007). In malignant patients, BRAF^V600E correlated with neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR), while MET showed weak associations in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and NPR. In non-malignant patients, MET was negatively correlated with NLR and NPR.

Conclusion: BRAF^V600E and MET are synergistically upregulated in malignant thyroid cancer and correlate with tumor grade. These findings highlight their potential utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and support further research into targeted therapies.