Consistent with the bioinformatics data, the protein levels of phosphorylated-LKB1 (p-LKB1) and total LKB1 significantly increased in human thyroid epithelial Nthy-ori 3-1 cell, compared with that in thyroid cancer TPC-1 and BCPAP cell lines (Figure 1B). This evidence concerns the gene STK11 and thyroid cancer.