Endocrine Abstracts

The study evaluates the expression of same immunohistochemical (IHC) markers (Ki-67, PCNA, CK-19, HBME-1 and Galectin 3, in the diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

Material and methods: The study group comprised 57 patients with thyroid tumors; aged 17–71 years (mean age 48.96 years). All cases were evaluated before surgical treatment by means of clinical examination, thyroid ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

IHC staining was performed (on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue) in 37 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma – PTC (classical form, variants and microcarcinomas), 6 cases of follicular adenoma – FA, 4 cases of follicular thyroid carcinomas – FTC, 5 cases of neoplasia with uncertain malignant potential and 5 cases of Hurthle cell tumors (carcinomas and adenomas).

The obtained results were expressed semi quantitatively.

Results: All studied markers were expressed in the tumor cytoplasm, with no or weak expression in benign tumors and diffuse and strong in malignant ones.

Twenty-two cases with carcinomas were positive for Ki67 and 27 for PCNA.

CK19 was detected in all PTCs, 2/4 FTCs and 2/6 FAs.

Galectin 3 expressed in 32/37 PTCs, all FTCs and 4/5 neoplasms with uncertain malignant potential. HBME-1 showed a highly specificy for PTC.

Conclusions: HBME-1 and CK19 proved to be helpful markers in diagnosis of PTC.HBME-1 helps the differential diagnosis between follicular variant of PTC (FVPTC) and FTC.

Galectin 3 was helpful in the differential diagnosis between FTC and FA and in the diagnosis of tumors with uncertain malignant potential.

The combined use of HBMB1, Galectin 3 and CK19 seems to increase the specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the IHC method.