Intranodal benign thyroid tissue: significance of HBME-1 in differentiation from metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma.
The aim of this study was to determine the significance of HBME-1 immunostaining in the differentiation between intranodal benign thyroid tissue and metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma in the lymph node. Immunohistochemically we examined normal-appearing intranodal thyroid tissue in four patients who did not show evidence of papillary carcinoma histologically or clinically. We also examined follicular-pattern-predominant papillary carcinoma with metastatic foci in the lymph nodes. Normal-appearing intranodal thyroid tissue and normal thyroid showed no immunopositivity for HBME-1. In contrast, all papillary carcinomas in both the lymph nodes and thyroid demonstrated strong positivity for HBME-1. HBME-1 was predominantly positive for the luminal surface of the tumor cells. The immunopositivity of the cuboidal and low columnar carcinoma cells was more intensive than that of the flat-shaped cells in the lymph nodes and thyroid. The results probably indicate that HBME-1 immunostaining is helpful in distinguishing between intranodal benign thyroid tissue and metastatic papillary carcinoma in lymph nodes. We emphasize that the HBME-1 reactivity should be evaluated in connection with the histological findings, and that positive and negative controls stained in parallel are necessary.
Hirokawa
M
M
Department of Pathology, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Tokushima, Japan. hirokawa@basic.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Horiguchi
H
H
Wakatsuki
S
S
Miki
H
H
Sonoo
H
H
Manabe
T
T
Sano
T
T
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C432845:HBME-1 antigen; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm