title: Core I gene is overexpressed in Hürthle and non-Hürthle cell microfollicular adenomas and follicular carcinomas of the thyroid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most of the steps involved in the initiation and progression of Hürthle (oncocytic, oxyphilic) cell carcinomas of the thyroid remain unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using differential display and semiquantitative RT-PCR we found, among other alterations, overexpression of the gene encoding the Core I subunit of the complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in a follicular carcinoma composed of Hürthle cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Similar high levels of Core I gene expression were detected in nine follicular carcinomas (seven with Hürthle cell features), in seven microfollicular adenomas (one with Hürthle cell features) and in one micro/macrofollicular adenoma, in contrast to a lower/normal expression in nine papillary carcinomas (three with Hürthle cell features) and five macrofollicular adenomas (one of which displaying Hürthle cell features). No significative correlation was found between Core I overexpression and the proliferative activity of the lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that Core I overexpression in thyroid tumours is not associated with malignancy, Hürthle cells or proliferative activity. The pathogenetic mechanism linking Core I overexpression to the microfollicular pattern of growth of thyroid tumours remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal. vmaximo@ipatimup.pt
authors.forename: Valdemar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Máximo
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preto
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: Ana Sofia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobrinho-Simões
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I