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Neuroendocrine marker expression in thyroid epithelial tumors.
1Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Bohseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. fumiko-s@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Endocrine Pathology
|December 12, 2001
Summary
Thyroid tumors show varying neuroendocrine marker expression. Insular variant follicular carcinomas exhibit immature neuroendocrine differentiation, indicated by neuron-specific enolase and synaptophysin expression.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Neuroendocrine markers are crucial for classifying thyroid tumors.
- Understanding neuroendocrine differentiation in thyroid neoplasms is essential for diagnosis and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of neuroendocrine markers in various types of thyroid tumors.
- To determine if specific thyroid tumor subtypes exhibit neuroendocrine differentiation patterns.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was performed on 50 thyroid tumor tissue sections.
- Neuroendocrine markers including neuron-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin (SynP), Leu7, NCAM, chromogranin A (CgA), and SNAP25 were analyzed.
- In situ hybridization (ISH) was used to confirm messenger RNA (mRNA) expression for NSE.
Main Results:
- Medullary carcinomas showed 100% expression for NSE, SynP, CgA, and SNAP25.
- Follicular adenomas and carcinomas displayed variable expression of NSE and SynP.
- Papillary carcinomas showed high expression of Leu7 (100%) and moderate expression of NSE and SynP.
- Anaplastic carcinomas exhibited very low expression of all tested neuroendocrine markers.
- Two insular variant follicular carcinomas showed simultaneous NSE and SynP immunoexpression, confirmed by ISH for NSE mRNA.
Conclusions:
- Neuroendocrine marker expression varies significantly across different thyroid tumor types.
- Medullary carcinomas are strongly neuroendocrine-differentiated.
- The insular variant of follicular carcinoma demonstrates features of immature neuroendocrine differentiation, despite the absence of endocrine granules.