S100A11 overexpression contributes to the malignant phenotype of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Context: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent thyroid tumor and is responsible for the overall increase in thyroid cancer incidence. S100A11 (calgizzarin), a member of the S100 Ca2+-binding protein family, is involved in several different biological processes. S100A11 has been found up-regulated in PTC, both at the mRNA and protein levels. Objective: Through a combination of expression analysis and functional in vitro and in vivo studies, we have attempted to gain insight into the relevance of S100A11 overexpression in PTC biology. Design: The expression of the S100A11 gene in PTC was investigated in several gene expression data sets. The effect of S100A11 silencing on the hallmarks of the malignant phenotype of several PTC-derived cell lines was investigated. In NIH3T3 cells, the cooperation of S100A11 with the different PTC-specific oncogenes was assessed. Results: We found that the S100A11 gene expression is frequently up-regulated in PTC, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, but not in foll...