This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 91/4/1404    most recent Author Manuscript (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sáez, C. Articles by Japón, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sáez, C. Articles by Japón, M. A. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Thyroid Cancer Related Collections Thyroid Endocrine Oncology

Prognostic Significance of Human Pituitary Tumor-Transforming Gene Immunohistochemical Expression in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Department of Pathology (C.S., C.C., M.A.J.) and Endocrinology Unit (M.A.M.-B., A.S., E.N.), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, 41013 Spain; and Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville (M.T.), and Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (J.A.P.-T.), Seville 41080, Spain

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Miguel A. Japón, Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, Seville 41013, Spain. E-mail: mjapon{at}cica.es.

Context: Human securin pituitary tumor-transforming gene (hPTTG) is overexpressed in a variety of primary neoplasias, including differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the immunohistochemical expression of hPTTG in DTC and its association with known prognostic factors.

Design: hPTTG expression was analyzed by immunostaining on paraffin-embedded tissues. Clinical data were used to determine any associations between the expression of hPTTG and prognostic variables of DTC. A median follow-up of 43 months allowed us to analyze the persistence of disease and the response to radioiodine therapy.

Setting: The study was conducted at a tertiary university hospital.

Patients: Ninety-five patients undergoing surgical resection for DTC (n = 60) or benign nodular thyroid disease (n = 35) were studied.

Main Outcome Measure: The main outcome measure was the association between hPTTG expression and prognostic factors in DTC.

Results: Among DTC cases, 21 (35%) had low and 39 (65%) had high hPTTG immunostaining. Adjacent nonneoplastic thyroid tissue was largely unstained. Among benign nodular thyroid disease cases, immunostaining was detected focally in eight (22.8%). A significant association was found between hPTTG expression and the presence of nodal (P < 0.01) or distant metastases (P < 0.05). A significant association with TNM was also found, because 83.3% of advanced TNM stages showed elevated hPTTG (P < 0.05). The association between hPTTG overexpression and decreased radioiodine uptake during follow-up was also significant (P < 0.05). The expression levels of hPTTG were confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for persistent disease (relative risk, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–8.7; P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Immunohistochemical analysis of hPTTG is of potential value in the determination of tumor aggressiveness in DTC.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. C. Limon-Mortes, M. Mora-Santos, A. Espina, J. A. Pintor-Toro, A. Lopez-Roman, M. Tortolero, and F. Romero UV-induced degradation of securin is mediated by SKP1-CUL1-{beta}TrCP E3 ubiquitin ligase J. Cell Sci., June 1, 2008; 121(11): 1825 - 1831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Brabant Thyrotropin Suppressive Therapy in Thyroid Carcinoma: What Are the Targets? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2008; 93(4): 1167 - 1169. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Vlotides, T. Eigler, and S. Melmed Pituitary Tumor-Transforming Gene: Physiology and Implications for Tumorigenesis Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2007; 28(2): 165 - 186. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]