title: Differential reactivity for galectin-3 in Hürthle cell adenomas and carcinomas.
abstract: Hürthle cell carcinomas behave as the most aggressive variant of differentiated thyroid carcinoma of follicular origin, with frequent recurrences and higher morbidity. Its differential diagnosis with Hürthle cell adenoma remains a problem for the clinician and for the pathologist. The vertebrate lectins, galectin-1 and galectin-3 have been implicated in the regulation of cellular growth, differentiation, and malignant transformation in thyroid neoplasms. Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside binding protein, has been recently found to be highly expressed in papillary and follicular carcinomas. The current study was undertaken to investigate immunohistochemical reactivity for galectin-3 of thyroid specimen tissues with Hürthle cell adenomas (n = 14) and carcinomas (n = 17), follicular (n = 14) and papillary (n = 11) carcinomas, colloid goiter (n = 30), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n = 11), follicular adenoma (n = 9), and normal thyroid tissues (n = 18). Follicular (78.5%) and papillary (82.0%) carcinomas were frequently reactive for galectin-3, more often when some H rthle cells were present. There was no galectin-3 immunostaining in any of the specimens from Hashimoto's thyroiditis, colloid goiters or normal thyroid samples, whereas only one case of follicular adenoma was found positive (11.1%). By contrast, galectin-3 immunostaining in Hürthle cell carcinomas was significantly higher (59%) than in H rthle cell adenomas (7.1), p < 0.05). These results suggest that galectin-3 may potentially serve as a marker in difficult differential diagnosis cases involving Hürthle cell adenomas and Hürthle cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Unit (LIM-25), Univ Sao Paulo Med School, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bisi
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Longatto-Filho
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Kanamura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medeiros-Neto
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002452:Cell Count; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D037502:Galectin 3; D006042:Goiter / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037102:Lectins; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037502:Galectin 3; D037102:Lectins