Diagnostic value of estrogen receptors in thyroid lesions.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of estrogen receptors (ER) alpha and beta in various thyroid lesions and to assess the practicality of this test.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical stains were performed for both ERalpha and ERbeta, for evaluation of immunoreactivity in 296 thyroid tissue samples that consisted of 150 goiters, 90 papillary carcinomas, 19 follicular adenomas, 15 Hurtle cell adenomas, 6 Hashimoto thyroiditis, 5 anaplastic carcinomas, 4 medullary carcinomas, 4 follicular carcinomas, 2 Hurtle cell carcinomas, and 1 squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid. Three variables were evaluated in each sample: The intensity of the staining both nuclear (1) and cytoplasmic (2), and the spread of the stain over the sample (3).


RESULTS
None of the histologic samples showed immunoreactivity for ERalpha. Positive immunoreactivity results for ERbeta were found in tissue samples from all of the different groups of diagnoses, both benign and malignant lesions as well as in normal thyroid tissue. No significant difference was found between the various thyroid lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that ERbeta is the only ER detectable in thyroid tissue. However, ERbeta expression has no significant specifications for differentiation between benign and malignant lesions of the thyroid. ERalpha is undetectable in the thyroid. Further investigations are necessary mainly in the laboratory immunohistochemical workup.
Vaiman
Michael
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center affiliated to the Sakler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Zerifin, Israel. vaimed@yahoo.com
Olevson
Youlian
Y
Habler
Liliana
L
Kessler
Alex
A
Zehavi
Sergei
S
Sandbank
Judith
J
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta