Estrogen receptors and progesterone receptor expression and their relationship to types of thyroid cancer

Jose Cameselle-Teijeiro; Lara Alberte-Lista; Diego Peteiro-Gonzalez; Miguel Melo; Ihab Abdulkader; Paula Soares; Pilar Gayoso-Diz; Manuel Sobrinho-Simoes

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Endocrine Abstracts (2011) 26 P454

ECE2011 Poster Presentations Thyroid cancer (43 abstracts)

Estrogen receptors and progesterone receptor expression and their relationship to types of thyroid cancer

José Cameselle-Teijeiro ^1, , Lara Alberte-Lista ³ , Diego Peteiro-González ¹ , Miguel Melo ⁴ , Ihab Abdulkader ¹ , Paula Soares ⁴ , Pilar Gayoso-Diz ¹ & Manuel Sobrinho-Simões ⁴

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¹Clinical University Hospital, IDIS, SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; ²University of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; ³Hospital Montecelo, Pontevedra, Spain; ⁴Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.

The role of hormones and reproductive factors in thyroid carcinoma is suggested by its higher incidence in women. The association with estrogens or other specific hormonal factors remains unclear. We assessed the estrogen receptor alpha (ESRa), estrogen receptor beta (ESRb) and progesterone receptor (PRR) expression in follicular cell-derived tumours (FDT).

Cross-sectional study of 50 (25%) males, median age 50.5 (interquartile range, IR, 34), and 149 (75%) females, median age 51.5 (IR, 30). The immunoexpression (ESRa), (ESRb), and (PRR) was analyzed in tissue microarrays containing 199 FDT. We used the ‘Allred Score’. A total score (TS) was calculated from the sum of a proportion score and intensity score (ranging from 0–5, and 0–3) with positive results when TS≥3. Cross-tabulation significance levels were based on Pearson’s χ² test to analyze histological type-adjusted receptor expression levels. Non-parametric tests were employed for comparison of quantitative variables. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (v. 18.1).

50 follicular adenomas (FA), 73 papillary carcinomas (PC), 48 follicular carcinomas (FC), 15 poorly differentiated carcinomas (PDC) and 13 undifferentiated carcinomas (UC) were studied. Percentage of positive TS: ESRa. – 10.2 (FA), 50.8 (PC), 13 (FC), 0 (PDC), 30 (UC); ESRb. – 64.6 (FA), 65.1 (PC), 22.2 (FC), 60 (PDC), 45.5 (UC); and PRR. – 18.2 (FA), 85.2 (PC), 47.8 (FC), 26.7 (PDC), 0 (UC). We found the highest positive TS values for PC (P<0.001), with maximum scores in the cribriform-morular variant of PC.

The highest expression of hormone receptors in PC fits with its higher female prevalence and suggests such receptors play a pathogenetic role. We also provide the first standardized ‘Allred Score’ evaluation of FDT, offering a target for future therapy strategies. Grant PS09/02050-FEDER from the ISCIII, Spain.