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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
[The expression of galectin-3 in nodular thyroid goitre]
Wen-jie Chen1, Mao-hua Yu, Ying Xu
1Department of Gerontology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China. vingerchan@hotmail.com
Objective:
To investigate the expression of galectin-3 in benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Methods:
Galectin-3 expression was assayed with immunohistochemical and RT-PCR methods in thyroid specimens.
Results:
The majority of the specimens of thyroid carcinomas expressed galectin-3 with immunohistochemical and RT-PCR methods (89.7% and 91.7%) and the expression was significantly in different histological types. Papillary and follicular thyroid malignancies showed high expression of galectin-3 (100% positive). Comparing the specimens of thyroid carcinomas with metastases and those without metastases, the expression of galectin-3 was significantly higher in the former than in the latter. Among 25 specimens of benign adenomas and 13 specimens of nodular hyperplasia, only 3 were weakly positive and other were negative. Neither 10 specimens of normal thyroid tissue nor 25 specimens of paracarcinomatous thyroid tissue expressed galectin-3.
Conclusion:
Galectin-3 may be used as a marker for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
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