Expression of thyroid hormone receptors is disturbed in human renal clear cell carcinoma

Human renal clear cell carcinoma (RCCC) accounts for up to 2% of human cancers. To find out if thyroid hormone (T3) and its receptors (TRs) play a role in tumorigenesis of RCCC, the expression of TRs was evaluated on mRNA and protein level. It was found that TRα (both α1 and α2) mRNA amount was significantly decreased in tumors while compared with healthy kidney tissue, and this decrease was deepest in G1 (well differentiated) RCCCs. In contrast, TRα1 protein was 1.6× overexpressed in tumors. TRβ1 mRNA amount was overexpressed in 30% and significantly decreased in 70% of examined tumors. On the protein level, TRβ1 amount was 1.7× lower in tumors than in healthy controls.