To test this hypothesis, we assessed the expression of RARB as well as miR-146a-5p and miR-146b-5p in 48 PTC tumor/normal tissue pairs by Taqman assay to reveal that the expression of RARB was 3.28-fold decreased, and miR-146b-5p was 28.9-fold increased in PTC tumors.
We concluded that miRNAs, particularly miR-146b, might potentially be adjunct markers for diagnosing papillary thyroid carcinoma in both FNA and surgical pathology specimens.