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Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
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Wnt3a but not CDX-2 expression is associated with differentiated thyroid cancer
Gleyne Lopes Kujew Biagini1, Carmem Austrália Paredes Marcondes Ribas1, Henrique Diez Higashi1
1Faculdade de Medicina da Escola Evangélica Mackenzie, Medical Research Institute - Curitiba (PR), Brazil.
Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
|April 20, 2022
Summary
Wnt3a expression is linked to differentiated thyroid cancer, unlike CDX-2. This finding may aid in classifying thyroid lesions, though Wnt3a
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Thyroid neoplasm incidence is rising globally, driven by improved medical imaging and screening.
- Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin pathway signaling is implicated in differentiated thyroid cancer metastasis.
- Wnt3a and CDX-2 are key players in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare Wnt3a and CDX-2 expression in multinodular goiter and differentiated thyroid cancer.
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of Wnt3a and CDX-2 in thyroid neoplasms.
- To investigate the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in differentiated thyroid cancer.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to analyze Wnt3a and CDX-2 expression.
- 194 thyroid tissue samples were studied: 154 differentiated thyroid cancer and 40 multinodular goiter.
- Clinicopathological data were correlated with protein expression levels.
Main Results:
- High Wnt3a expression was significantly associated with differentiated thyroid cancer (p=0.031).
- CDX-2 was not detected in any differentiated thyroid cancer or multinodular goiter cases.
- Wnt3a expression correlated with smaller tumor size (≤20 mm) and absence of capsule invasion.
Conclusions:
- Wnt3a expression, but not CDX-2, differentiates differentiated thyroid cancer from multinodular goiter.
- Wnt3a shows limited prognostic value for tumor size and capsule invasion.
- Combining Wnt3a with other immune markers may improve classification of thyroid lesions.
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