Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Even if a great number of studies have been developed recently, the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of hyperplastic lesions of the parathyroid glands are not well understood. The link between systemic inflammation and promotion of neoplasm is well established. Chronic infection and inflammation are considered two of the most prominent epigenetic and environmental factors contributing to tumor formation. Toll like receptors (TLRs) are essential components of innate immune system that protect the host against bacterial and viral infection. Toll/interleukin-1 receptor/resistance (TIR) adaptor protein (TICAM-2) can physically bind TIR domains and influence cell signaling. TICAM-2 interacts with TLR3 and mediates dsRNA activation of interferon-beta through NFkappaB.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the immunohistochemical expression of TICAM-2 as a potentially useful in diagnosis of hyperplastic lesions of the parathyroid glands.

Methods: For immunohistochemistry, parathyroid specimens of patients undertaken surgery due to primary hyperparathyroidism caused by adenoma and primary hyperplasia were investigated. Frozen sections were incubated with purified mouse monoclonal antihuman antibody anti-TICAM-2. The immunohistological investigations were performed by the BrightVision method from ImmunoLogic. The number of proliferating cells were counted and expressed as a mean value of at least 6 counted high power fields (HPF, ×400). The sections were counterstained with Mayer’s haematoxylin.

Results: Positive TICAM-2 immunoreaction was significantly increased in parathyroid adenomas, compared to hyperplasias and healthy parathyroid glands, whereas the expression of TICAM-2 was higher in hyperplasias than in controls. Positively stained cells were localized in the well vascularized region of the parathyroid nodule.

Conclusions: Our study indicated the important role of TICAM-2 in primary hyperparathyroidism and could be a potential therapetical targets. TICAM-2 might be useful in diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. A better understanding of molecular profiling in primary hyperparathyroidism could result in more precise assessment of diagnosis and more effective treatment, especially in those cases in which the commonly used parameters are insufficient.