Immunohistochemical evaluation of inflammatory and proliferative markers in adjacent normal thyroid tissue in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy: results of a preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
Total thyroidectomy is the treatment of choice in the majority of thyroid malignancies, preventing the risk of reoperative surgery due to recurrences. In order to assess the usefulness of such an approach, expression levels of inflammatory and proliferative markers were evaluated immunohistochemically in non-lesional adjacent thyroid tissues from a group of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for different thyroid diseases.


METHODS
Nineteen consecutive patients treated by total thyroidectomy for different thyroid diseases entered the study. IL-6Rb gp130 component of the IL-6 cytokine family members receptor complexes, STAT3 cytokine signalling transduction and transcription activation factor, p53 as tumour suppressor and CK19 cytokeratin as proliferation marker were analyzed in non-lesional thyroid tissues.


RESULTS
Gp 130 expression was detected in all tissue samples with a scattered distribution while STAT3 and p53 positivity was observed in 17 out of 19 patients with a prevailing cytoplasmic localization. Cytokeratin 19 positivity was found in patients with papillary carcinoma, in one case of follicular adenoma, 3 multinodular goiters and one Basedow disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results of this preliminary study, it may be concluded that the presence of a persisting cytokine-mediated activation associated with cytoplasmic localization of p53 is frequently observed in different thyroid diseases. Such a process seems to occur in the thyroid gland as a whole. Moreover, STAT3 activation as well as mutant p53 are risk factors for the development of neoplastic diseases. Total thyroidectomy may be supported as an adequate therapeutic approach for all the patients in whom overexpression of cytokine-dependent markers is detected.
Ardito
Guglielmo
G
Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of General Surgery, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F.Vito 1, Roma 00168, Italy.
Revelli
Luca
L
Boninsegna
Alma
A
Sgambato
Alessandro
A
Moschella
Francesca
F
Marzola
Maria Cristina
MC
Giustozzi
Erica
E
Avenia
Nicola
N
Castelli
Mauro
M
Rubello
Domenico
D
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053539:Keratin-19; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130