Expression of ECM1 and MMP-2 in follicular thyroid lesions among Egyptians

Thyroid nodules require pre-surgical cytological assessment for possible risk of malignancy. Many techniques were introduced to enhance differential diagnosis and to avoid unnecessary diagnostic surgery.

The study aims to investigate the potential use of ECM1 gene and MMP-2 protein as preoperative tumor markers in suspicious follicular thyroid lesions.

The study included 40 Egyptian cases with solitary thyroid nodules. They underwent preoperative FNAB followed by thyroidectomy. MMP-2 protein and ECM1 gene were detected using immunostaining and conventional semi-quantitative RT-PCR techniques; respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of FNAB, gene and protein expression level cutoffs was calculated by using ROC.

Both MMP-2 protein and ECM1 gene expressions were significantly higher in malignant than benign group (P < 0.001). Both were significantly higher in higher tumor stages (PMMP-2= 0.002; PECM1 = 0.032) but only ECM1 significantly differed with tumor size (P < 0.006). The diagnostic performances of ECM1 expression scores was significantly better than that of FNAB (P = 0.049). A significant direct correlation was detected between ECM1 gene and MMP-2 protein expressions in cases of FVPC and of FC (P = 0.014).

MMP-2 protein and ECM1 gene are useful preoperative markers for defining malignancy in suspicious thyroid nodules.