Effect of Heparin-Protamine Treatment on Thyroid Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: Anticoagulation therapy is often used to prevent stroke in patients with thyroid cancer. However, the effects of heparin and protamine on thyroid cancer are unknown; therefore, we examined the response of thyroid cancer cell lines to heparin and protamine.

Materials And Methods: Cytotoxic assay for heparin-protamine treatment was examined on SW1736, 8505c and 8305c cell lines.

Results: The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the heparin-protamine treatment was 82.1 μg/ml for the SW1736 cell line, 10.4 μg/ml for 8505c, and 17.8 μg/ml for 8305c. Each cell line expresses fibronectin, with SW1736 expressing mutant fibronectin; thus, it is possible that mutant fibronectin may prevent the antitumor effect in SW1736 cells.

Conclusion: The SW1736 cell line did not show any antitumor effect after heparin-protamine treatment. Further research is needed on why heparin-protamine treatment does not exert an antitumor effect on SW1736 cells, and the results of this research could mean that the heparin-protamine treatment might be used to provide antitumor effects in some thyroid cancer cases.