Expression of fascin in thyroid neoplasms: a novel diagnostic marker.
OBJECTIVE
Fascin, an actin-bundling protein, is markedly upregulated in several epithelial tumors and its expression often correlates with high-grade, extensive invasion, and distant metastasis. However, reports about fascin expression in endocrine tumors remain rare. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic significance of fascin in thyroid neoplasms.


METHODS
Thyroid samples from 177 cases were examined for fascin and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Fascin immunoreactivity was negative in normal follicles and nodular goiter. Fascin immunostaining was positive in 62.1% (41/66) of thyroid carcinomas and 26.4% (19/72) of thyroid adenomas; the difference being significant (P < 0.0001). In thyroid papillary carcinoma, upregulation of fascin was associated with both the Ki-67 labeling index and the occurrence of lymph node metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Fascin may be a novel marker to distinguish thyroid carcinoma from benign lesions and may be involved in the proliferation and metastasis of papillary carcinoma.
Chen
Guang
G
Department of General Surgery, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.
Zhang
Fa-Ren
FR
Ren
Jiang
J
Tao
Li-Hua
LH
Shen
Zhong-Ying
ZY
Lv
Zhuo
Z
Yu
Shi-Jiang
SJ
Dong
Bing-Fei
BF
Xu
Li-Yan
LY
Li
En-Min
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C020324:fascin