Increased expression of integrin beta-4 in papillary thyroid carcinoma with gross lymph node metastasis.
Although the prognosis is generally good for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, gross nodal metastasis of carcinoma has a poor prognosis. It is necessary to clarify how carcinoma progresses to gross nodal metastasis in order to establish a cure. The adhesion molecule integrin beta-4 is considered to be related to cell migration and metastasis in many carcinomas. In the present study, we examined integrin beta-4 expression in 65 cases of human papillary thyroid carcinoma using immunohistochemical methods. Expression of integrin beta-4 was found in all papillary carcinomas, but in few normal thyrocytes. Interestingly, integrin beta-4 expression in the carcinomas with gross (> or =3 cm) lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that in carcinomas with small (<3 cm) or no lymph node metastasis. These results suggest that integrin beta-4 expression in thyroid carcinoma may play a role in the development of gross lymph node metastasis of papillary carcinomas.
Kitajiri
Shin-Ichiro
S
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. kitajiri@ent.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Hosaka
Naoki
N
Hiraumi
Harukazu
H
Hirose
Tomoko
T
Ikehara
Susumu
S
D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039663:Integrin beta4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D039663:Integrin beta4