Abstract
Purpose Our aim was to analyze NAMPT expression in thyroid tissue derived from patients with Graves' disease with (GD) and without (GO) orbitopathy, patients with toxic nodular goiters (TNG) and thyroid cancers (TC), and healthy controls. Methods 153 thyroid tissue samples of consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy were collected. Previous therapy with steroids was an exclusion criterion. We collected clinicopathological data of all subjects and we assessed NAMPT expression using qPCR. Results We found the highest NAMPT expression in the thyroids of patients with GO (n = 20) and cancers (n = 40). Also, there was statistically significant NAMPT overexpression in patients with TNG (n = 30). Relatively low NAMPT expression was found in GD patients (n = 21) and in the control group (n = 39). In one-way ANCOVA, we confirmed that NAMPT expression differs between subgroups and that it is not influenced by age, BMI, or sex of patients. Conclusions Reported alteration of NAMPT expression might suggest its involvement in thyroid pathologies. Observed NAMPT overexpression in patients with GO and its relatively low levels in thyroids of patients with GD without eye changes do not confirm causal relationship between NAMPT level and orbitopathy, but this needs further investigation.
Highlights
Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), known as visfatin or pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), is a protein with complex properties [1]
We have shown that NAMPT/visfatin/PBEF serum concentration in hypothyroid patients is influenced by both free thyroid hormones and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies [11]
Patients with GO and Graves’ disease with (GD) were significantly younger than patients with thyroid cancers; GO patients were younger than subjects with toxic nodular goiters (TNG) and healthy controls
Summary
Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), known as visfatin or pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), is a protein with complex properties [1]. It has enzymatic activity involved in the NAD cellular process. Changes of NAMPT/visfatin concentrations and expressions have been investigated in autoimmune diseases [3]. Alteration of NAMPT/visfatin/PBEF levels has been observed in diabetes and obesity [4, 5]. NAMPT has antiapoptotic properties, and its overexpression was observed in many cancers, including thyroid cancers [6, 7]. We have previously found that NAMPT expression correlated with thyroid cancer stage and lymph node invasion [6]. Several NAMPT inhibitors have been synthesized, and some of them were tested in clinical trials among patients with cancers that are nonresponsive to conventional therapy [8, 9]
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