Apolipoprotein e expression in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) has been known to play a role in cholesterol transport and metabolism. However, recently the relationship between Apo E and carcinoma progression has been investigated. In this study, we investigated Apo E expression in thyroid carcinoma at both the protein and molecular levels.


METHODS
We investigated Apo E expression at the protein and molecular level in 124 thyroid neoplasms.


RESULTS
In RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, the Apo E mRNA expression level was very low in papillary and follicular carcinomas as well as normal thyroid, but was dramatically elevated in anaplastic carcinoma. In an immunohistochemical study, 32 of 33 anaplastic carcinomas (97.0%) showed high levels of Apo E expression, but this phenomenon was seen only in 1 of 51 papillary carcinomas (2.0%). None of the follicular carcinomas or adenomas showed high levels of Apo E expression.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that Apo E is one of the typical biological characteristics of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
Ito
Yasuhiro
Y
Department of Surgery, Kuma Hospital, Kobe, Japan. ito01@kuma-h.or.jp
Takano
Toru
T
Miyauchi
Akira
A
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger