ABSTRACT Purpose Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the predominant type of malignant thyroid tumor, with its incidence steadily rising in recent years. Timely diagnosis and intervention are crucial for minimizing metastasis and improving survival rates. This study aims to investigate miR‐485‐3p 's diagnostic potential for PTC and its role in malignant progression, offering a novel biomarker for PTC. Methods This study enrolled 150 benign thyroid nodule (BTN) patients and 200 PTC patients. All participants underwent color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) to measure relevant parameters (RI, PI, and PSV). Serum miR‐485‐3p levels were quantified using RT‐qPCR. ROC analysis was conducted to estimate the diagnostic efficacy of CDUS parameters and miR‐485‐3p . Functional experiments were performed to investigate the role of miR‐485‐3p in PTC cells. Additionally, dual‐luciferase reporter assays were utilized to validate the direct targeting relationship between miR‐485‐3p and GCNT4 . Results Elevated CDUS parameters could differentiate between patients with PTC and BTN. Serum miR‐485‐3p levels were markedly enhanced in PTC patients. The combination of miR‐485‐3p and CDUS parameters demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for PTC (AUC = 0.926), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.870 and 0.847. Inhibition of miR‐485‐3p remarkably suppressed the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of PTC cells. Furthermore, mechanistic investigations revealed that miR‐485‐3p directly regulates GCNT4 expression, thereby modulating the malignant behavior of PTC cells. Conclusion Preliminary results indicate that the biomarker panel combining serum miR‐485‐3p levels with CDUS parameters shows diagnostic potential for PTC. In vitro experiments confirmed the potential of the miR‐485‐3p / GCNT4 axis in modulating the malignant behavior of PTC cells.
Han et al. (2026) studied this question.