Targeted next-generation sequencing in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients looking for germline variants predisposing to the disease.

Germline variants of related genes could be associated with the susceptibility of PTC as well as disease progression (distant metastasis and radioiodine-refractory status). However, these results must be further verified and the potential biological functions of these germline variants in the pathogenesis of PTC remain to be determined in future studies.