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Year:
1998
| Volume: 6
| Issue: 3
| Pages: 89-91
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Original Article |
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GALECTIN-3 EXPRESSION AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCT IN THYROID PAPILLARY CARCINOMA DIAGNOSTICS
Dubravka CVEJIC, Svetlana SAVIN, Ivan PAUNOVIC, Svetislav TATIC, Marija HAVELKA, Jovan SINADINOVIC |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Background: Malignant thyroid tumors include a broad spectrum of lesions, which vary in histopathological appearance and clinical behavior. In addition to classical clinicopathological features, immunohistochemical markers are of increasing importance in diagnostic pathology and biological grading of thyroid tumors. Galectin-3 is a 31 kDa protein, a member of the endogenous beta-galactoside binding family of lectins, found in many epithelial and immune cell types. The alterations in galectin-3 expression observed in various in vitro transformed cells and humantumours have associated this lectin with transformation and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to analyze galectin-3 expression in malignant thyroid tumors. Methods: A total of 70 paraffin-embedded specimens including 55 carcinomas (20 papillary, 15 follicular, 10 anaplastic, 10 medullary carcinomas) and 15 specimens of normal thyroid tissue was analyzed immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody to galectin-3 and the technique of avidin-biotin peroxidase complex (ABC) formation. Results: Positive staining was found in all cases of papillary carcinoma,, 11 out of 15 follicular carcinomas, all 10 cases of anaplastic carcinoma and 6 out of 10 medullary carcinomas. Normal thyroid tissue was negative. While galectin-3 was strongly and diffusely expressed in papillary carcinomas, other malignant lesions showed weaker, focal or variable positivity. Conclusion: Galectin-3 is expressed in a majority of thyroid malignancies, but its prominent and strong expression in papillary carcinoma, either of papillary or follicular variant, may be of supportive use in the diagnostics of papillary thyroide carcinoma. Definitive conclusions about the diagnostic implication of galectin-3 need a larger number of specimens to be examined. |
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Key words:
THYROID NEOPLASMS+diagnosis; CARCINOMA, PAPILLARY+diagnosis; LECTIUS; IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY |
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