Prognostic significance of pituitary tumour-transforming gene-binding factor (PBF) expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Pituitary tumour-transforming gene (PTTG)-binding factor (PBF), originally known as PTTG1 interacting protein (PTTG1IP), has been found to be significantly increased in well-differentiated thyroid cancer and independently associated with early tumour recurrence.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prognostic significance of PBF expression in a large cohort of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with a long-term follow-up.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of PBF expression in PTC cases at different stages and correlate it with various clinicopathological parameters and patient survival. Subjects included 153 patients who received a thyroid operation for PTC at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1991 and 2000. All patients had a complete follow-up till the end of 2010.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical study for PBF expression on tissue sections from tumour specimens. Bond automated machine (Leica Microsystems, Germany) with a polyclonal rabbit anti-PBF antibody (LifeSpan BioSciences, LS-C118942, Seattle, WA, USA) was used. SPSS 13.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for all statistical analyses.


RESULTS
High PBF expression was significantly correlated with age (P = 0·0298), distant metastases at diagnosis (P = 0·0139), tumour multicentricity (P = 0·0035), TNM stage (P = 0·0103), locoregional recurrence (P = 0·0410) and disease-specific mortality (P = 0·0064). The expression level of PBF was significantly correlated with disease-specific survival (P = 0·0065). Cox regression analysis showed that age, tumour size and PBF expression were independent prognostic indicators (P = 0·0097, P = 0·0021 and P = 0·0179).


CONCLUSIONS
PBF expression may be a promising biomarker for prognostic and therapeutic purpose. More large-scale studies are needed to clarify its potential usefulness.
Department of Pathology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 5 Fu-Hsing St., Linko, Taoyuan, Taiwan. ch9211@adm.cgmh.org.tw
Chuen
C
Hsueh
Jen-Der
JD
Lin
Yu-Sun
YS
Chang
Swei
S
Hsueh
Tzu-Chieh
TC
Chao
Jau-Song
JS
Yu
Shih-Ming
SM
Jung
Ngan-Ming
NM
Tseng
Jui-Hung
JH
Sun
Shau-Yun
SY
Kuo
Shir-Hwa
SH
Ueng
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C112633:PTTG1IP protein, human