title: Parafibromin immunohistochemical staining to differentiate parathyroid carcinoma from parathyroid adenoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parafibromin is a protein encoded by the HRPT2 oncosuppressor gene, and the expression is reported to be decreased or absent in parathyroid carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 26 tumor specimens from 18 patients with adenoma and 8 patients with carcinoma were immune-stained with an antibody against parafibromin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parafibromin immunostaining showed strong positivity in 17 of 18 adenomas. Negative staining was noted in 3 of 8 carcinomas, and weak positivity was found in 3 of 8 carcinomas. The remaining 2 cases of carcinoma showed strong positivity. The loss of parafibromin expression (negative or weak positivity) demonstrated 94.4% specificity in the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinomas. Relapses or distant metastases of carcinoma occurred only in cases in which there was a loss of parafibromin immunostaining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Loss of parafibromin immunostating showed promising results in the differential diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma from adenoma and may also serve as a prognostic marker.
authors: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.
authors: Hee Kyung
authors: HK
authors: Kim
authors: Young Lyun
authors: YL
authors: Oh
authors: Seok-Hyung
authors: SH
authors: Kim
authors: Dong Youn
authors: DY
authors: Lee
authors: Ho-Cheol
authors: HC
authors: Kang
authors: Ji In
authors: JI
authors: Lee
authors: Hye Won
authors: HW
authors: Jang
authors: Kyu Yeon
authors: KY
authors: Hur
authors: Jae Hyeon
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Yong Ki
authors: YK
authors: Min
authors: Jae Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Chung
authors: Sun Wook
authors: SW
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C454900:CDC73 protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins