title: Expression of p8 protein in medullary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The p8 protein is involved in various cells under cellular stress, such as apoptotic stimuli. In this study, p8 protein expression was investigated in human medullary thyroid carcinoma. in order to elucidate its physiological significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We immunohistochemically investigated p8 expression in 69 cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty cases (43.4%) were regarded as a high group of p8 expression with a labelling index of 50% or higher. The p8 expression level was directly linked to lymph node metastasis, extrathyroid extension and UICC stage. Furthermore, there were no cases showing low p8 expression, but 24.8% of those with high p8 expression showed recurrence. However, p8 expression was not linked to the apoptotic index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that p8 expression plays an important role in the progression of medullary carcinoma, but does not have an anti-apoptotic function.
authors.affiliation: Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Japan. ito01@kuma-h.or.jp
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motoo
authors.forename: Juan Lucio
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Iovanna
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomoda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uruno
authors.forename: Yuuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miya
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuzuka
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuma
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C491643:NUPR1 protein, human