Correlation between sodium-iodide symporter expression and circulating tumor cell positivity in differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Objective We investigated the correlation between the expression of the sodium-iodide symporter(NIS) and the detection of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma(DTC).Methods NIS expression in differentiated thyroid and the positive rate of CTCs in the peripheral blood were determined by immunohistochemistry S-P and flow cytometry from the records of 172 cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.Results Seventy-six cases(44.2%) expressed NIS in the differentiated thyroid and 63 cases(36.6%) were positive for CTCs in the peripheral blood. There was a significant difference between N0 and N1 in the expression of NIS(χ~2 = 6.015, P = 0.014) and the positive rate of CTCs(χ~2 = 14.035, P = 0.001). N0 and N1 also differed significantly in the expression of NIS(r =-0.383,-0.610, P = 0.002, < 0.001). The differences in the NIS expression, but not in the positive rate of CTCs, were significant among the different pathological subtypes(χ~2 = 7.897, P = 0.005; χ~2 = 1.455, P = 0.228, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between the highly differentiated type and intermediate differentiation type both in the expression of NIS and positive rate of CTCs(r =-0.591,-0.443, P < 0.001, P = 0.002). Conclusion There was a significant negative correlation between the expression of tissue NIS and positive rate of CTCs in the peripheral blood in DTC. The malignancy level and lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma were negatively correlated with NIS expression and positively correlated with the positive rate of CTC.

Adenovirus-mediated and tumor-specific transgene expression of the sodium-iodide symporter from the human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter enhances killing of lung cancer cell line in vitro

Background The sodium-iodide symporter （NIS） protein can mediate the active radioiodine uptake.The human telomerase reverse transcriptase （hTERT） promoter is known to be selectively reactivated in majority of tumors and hence could be used for tumor targeting.We constructed a recombinant adenovirus containing the human sodium iodide symporter （hNIS） gene directed by the hTERT promoter, characterized the ability of infected cells in uptaking iodide, and explored the therapeutic efficacy of 131I in a lung cancer cell line in vitro.Methods The hTERT promoter was amplified by PCR from DNA isolated from log-phase HepG2 cells, subcloned into lineralized FL＊-hNIS/pcDNA3, and then the hTERT-hNIS sequence was subcloned into the shuttle plasmid pAdTrack.The recombinant adenovirus Ad-hTERT-hNIS was constructed by AdEasy system.A positive control adenovirusAd-CMV-hNIS and a negative control adenovirus Ad-CMV were created similarly.A549 cells were transduced with recombinant adenoviruses.125I uptake studies and sodium perchlorate suppression studies were used to confirm hNIS expression and function.Toxic effects of 131I on tumor cells were studied by in vitro clonogenic assay.Results We first successfully constructed an adenovirus mediated transgene expression system of the hNIS under the control of hTERT promoter.When infected with recombinant adenovirus constructs expressing hNIS directed by hTERTand CMV-promoters （Ad-hTERT-hNIS and Ad-CMV-hNIS, respectively）, the lung cancer cell line A549 had increased ability to uptake radioiodide up to 23- and 30- fold compared to the control parental cells, respectively.The radioiodide uptake ability of both the Ad-CMV-hNIS and Ad-hTERT-hNIS transduced cell lines were repressed 11-fold by sodium perchlorate （NaCIO4）.The subsequent in vitro clonogenic assay of the infected A549 cell line was further repressed to 23% （Ad-CMV-hNIS） and 30% （Ad-hTERT-hNIS） of the control group after receiving radioiodide for 7 hours （P 〈0.001）.Conclusion Our preliminary study indicates that an adenovirus mediated transgene expression system of the hNIS under the control of hTERT promoter has the potential to become an effective wide-spectrum yet highly specific anti-cancer strategy.

Radioiodine therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer following prostate-specific membrane antigen promoter-mediated transfer of the human sodium iodide symporter

Radioiodine therapy, the most effective form of systemic radiotherapy available, is currently useful only for thyroid cancer because of the thyroid-specific expression of the human sodium iodide symporter （hNIS）. Here, we explore the efficacy of a novel form of gene therapy using prostate-specific membrane antigen （PSMA） promoter-mediated hNIS gene transfer followed by radioiodine administration for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer （CRPC）. The androgen-dependent C33 LNCaP cell line and the androgen-independent C81 LNCaP cell line were transfected by adenovirus. PSMA promoter-hNIS （Ad.PSMApro-hNIS） or adenovirus.cytomegalovirus-hNIS containing the cytomegalovirus promoter （Ad.CMM-hNIS） or a control virus. The iodide uptake was measured in vitro. The in vivo iodide uptake by C81 cell xenografts in nude mice injected with an adenovirus carrying the hNIS gene linked to PSMA and the corresponding tumor volume fluctuation were assessed. Iodide accumulation was shown in different LNCaP cell lines after Ad.PSMApro-hNIS and Ad.CMV-hNIS infection, but not in different LNCaP cell lines after adenovirus.cytomegalovirus （Ad.CMV） infection. At each time point, higher iodide uptake was shown in the C81 cells infected with Ad.PSMApro-hNIS than in the C33 cells （P 〈 0.05）. An in vivo animal model showed a significant difference in 1311 radioiodine uptake in the tumors infected with Ad.PSMApro-hNIS, Ad.CMV-hNIS and control virus （P 〈 0.05） and a maximum reduction of tumor volume in mice infected with Ad.PSMApro-hNIS. These results show prostate-specific expression of the hNIS gene delivered by the PSMA promoter and effective radioiodine therapy of CRPC by the PSMA promoter-driven hNIS transfection.

Effect of Cytokine on the Expression of Sodium Iodide Symporter Gene in Breast Cancer Cell

Objective: To investigate the effect of cytokines (TNF-α,IFN-γ and IL-6) on the expression of sodium-iodide symporter(NIS)gene in breast cancer cell(MCF-7). Methods:The breast cancer cell was cultureds with negative control culture or culture with different concentrations of cytokines for 72 h.NIS gene mRNA in breast cancer cells cultured was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Results:Expression of sodium-iodide symporter mRNA can be found decreasing along with increasing the concentration of cytokine dose-dependently. Conclusion: Cytokine may play a role in iodide-uptake modulating in breast cancer cells by their effect on NIS gene expression.