Fig 1. Lower miR-126-3p expression is associated with aggressive thyroid cancer.

(A) miR-126-3p is significantly lower in larger papillary thyroid cancer (T3 compared to T2 and T1 tumors). Data for TCGA samples with available tumor size data. T1 tumors less than 2cm and not growing outside the thyroid, T2 tumors > 2cm but < 4cm and not growing outside the thyroid, T3 tumors measuring > 4cm or growing outside the thyroid. ** indicates p < 0.01, *** indicates p < 0.001. Y axis is log₁₀ normalized expression. (B) miR-126-3p expression is significantly lower in papillary thyroid cancer with minimal and moderate extrathyroidal invasion. ** indicates p < 0.01, *** indicates p < 0.001. Y axis is log₁₀ normalized expression. (C) miR-126-3p expression is significantly lower in high and intermediate MACIS risk papillary thyroid cancer as compared to low MACIS risk tumors. MACIS is a prognostic scoring system used in the TCGA database which is based on the presence of Metastasis, patient Age, Completeness of resection, local Invasion, and tumor Size. ** indicates p < 0.01, *** indicates p < 0.001. Y axis is log₁₀ normalized expression. (D) miR-126-3p expression is significantly lower in follicular thyroid cancer than follicular thyroid adenoma. All follicular thyroid cancer case had histologic evidence of capsular and vascular invasion and the adenomas did not have any evidence of capsular and vascular invasion. ** indicates p < 0.01. Y axis is 2^-(ΔΔCt).