title: Expression of fascin in thyroid neoplasms: a novel diagnostic marker.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fa-Ren
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Zhong-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Shi-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bing-Fei
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C020324:fascin