TROP-2 expression in papillary thyroid cancer: a preliminary cyto-histological study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• TROP-2 (human trophoblast cell surface marker) is overexpressed in various epithelial cancers, correlating with poor prognosis.
• Its expression in thyroid tissue and potential as a diagnostic marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of TROP-2 expression in detecting PTC in cytological and histological samples.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of TROP-2 with Hector Battifora mesothelial antigen-1 (HBME-1) for PTC detection.

Main Methods:

• Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to detect TROP-2 and HBME-1 expression.
• Analysis was performed on fine needle aspirates (FNAs) and histological specimens from 127 patients, with classification using the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC).

Main Results:

• TROP-2 demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (89%) in cytological samples (FNAs).
• In histological specimens, TROP-2 showed 87% sensitivity and 89% specificity, comparable to HBME-1.
• Concordance between ICC and IHC was higher for TROP-2 (91%) than for HBME-1 (76%).

Conclusions:

• TROP-2 is a viable marker for detecting PTC in thyroid cytology, performing similarly to HBME-1.
• Combined use of TROP-2 and HBME-1 may assist in risk stratification of indeterminate thyroid FNAs.
• Further research is needed to explore TROP-2's role in PTC behavior and variants.