Galectin-3 and CD44v6 isoforms in the preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules.
OBJECTIVE
Thyroid cancer is the most frequently occurring endocrine malignancy; however, preoperative diagnosis of some lesions, in particular those with follicular histology, is difficult, and a consistent number of not otherwise-specified "follicular nodules" are surgically resected more for diagnosis than therapeutic purposes. In this study, we investigated whether the lectin-related molecules CD44v6 and galectin-3, the expression of which is altered during deregulated cell growth and malignant transformation, could be potential markers for improving the diagnostic accuracy of conventional cytology.


METHODS
A comparative immuno-chemical and molecular analysis was performed on 157 thyroid specimens representative of normal, benign, and malignant tissues, and on 36 cytologic samples obtained preoperatively by fine-needle aspiration biopsy from nonselected patients with palpable thyroid nodules.


RESULTS
Normal thyrocytes did not express galectin-3 nor CD44v6. Although the expression of CD44v6 isnegligible in thyroiditis, these molecules are variably detected in benign and malignant proliferative lesions. Interestingly, galectin-3 is never expressed in benign lesions, but it is invariably detected in cancers. A comparative evaluation of CD44v6 and galectin-3 expression in thyroid malignancies demonstrated that these molecules are coexpressed at the messenger RNA and protein level in almost all lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that CD44v6 and galectin-3 could be potential markers to preoperatively identify malignant transformed thyrocytes. Immunodetection of these molecules on cytologic specimens obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy is an accurate and improved method for selecting, on a molecular basis, those nodular lesions of the thyroid gland that need to be surgically resected.
Gasbarri
A
A
Department of Pathology and Immunology, National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Rome, Italy.
Martegani
M P
MP
Del Prete
F
F
Lucante
T
T
Natali
P G
PG
Bartolazzi
A
A
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D037502:Galectin 3; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011300:Preoperative Care; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D037502:Galectin 3; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D020033:Protein Isoforms