Tenascin C in medullary thyroid microcarcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia.
Tenascin C (Tn-C) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is expressed early in carcinogenesis including intraepithelial neoplastic lesions of different organs. In this study, we analyze whether stroma reaction seen by Tn-C expression is detected early in tumorigenesis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) including medullary microcarcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia (CCH), which is accepted to be a precursor lesion of MTC in the setting of RET oncogene germ-line mutation. Tn-C was expressed in the stroma of all medullary microcarcinoma and in the stroma next to CCH. Stromal Tn-C expression was significantly more often seen in CCH with concomitant MTC than in isolated CCH of hereditary as well as nonhereditary cases (p = 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). We conclude that Tn-C expression and thus early stroma remodeling is seen in medullary microcarcinoma and CCH. Stromal Tn-C expression seems to be an indicator of a further step in carcinogenesis of MTC irrespective of a RET oncogene germ-line mutation.
Koperek
Oskar
O
Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Prinz
Astrid
A
Scheuba
Christian
C
Niederle
Bruno
B
Kaserer
Klaus
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics*; D019063:Tenascin / Q000032:analysis*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
D019063:Tenascin; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C099282:RET protein, human