title: Immunohistochemical levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and CD44 variant 6 protein in the diagnosis and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ability of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6) protein levels to diagnose papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), compared with routine diagnostic methods using tissue sections; to explore the relationship between MMP-2 and CD44v6 protein levels and lymph node metastases (LNM) in PTC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Archival PTC specimens from patients with PTC, with or without lateral cervical LNM, were included in this retrospective immunohistochemical study. MMP-2 and CD44v6 protein levels were analysed immunohistochemically using routinely prepared tissue sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Specimens from 66 patients with PTC were reviewed retrospectively (35 patients with lateral cervical LNM; 31 patients without LNM). The percentages of samples with cells that demonstrated positive protein staining differed significantly between PTC specimens, benign thyroid nodules and adjacent normal follicular epithelium (MMP-2: 86.4%, 60.0%, and 25.7%, respectively; CD44v6: 80.3%, 37.1% and 22.9%, respectively). The level of CD44v6 protein staining was found to be significantly and positively correlated with the level of MMP-2 protein staining in PTC specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both MMP-2 and CD44v6 might be useful tumour markers for predicting risk of lateral cervical LNM in patients with PTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. wugang66916@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuanhang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Tianyi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhongwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C112697:CD44v6 antigen; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
keywords: CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6); Papillary thyroid carcinoma; cervical lymph node metastasis; immunohistochemistry; matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)