title: Relationship between preoperative serum TSH levels and expression of VEGF in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates angiogenesis, increases vascular permeability and seems to correlate to aggressiveness of tumors. Increased expression of VEGF has been observed in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is the major thyroid hormone, but its relationship with VEGF has seldom been studied. Therefore, we explored whether the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF was related to the serum TSH level.
  
  
  METHODS
  VEGF expression was analyzed in 43 archived PTC specimens using immunohistochemistry, with adjacent normal thyroid tissues used as controls. Serum TSH was measured by immunoradiometric assay before surgery and correlated to VEGF expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive VEGF expression was found in 90% of 43 PTC tissue specimens, but not in normal tissue. The serum TSH levels revealed a positive correlation with VEGF expression, R = 0.592 (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TSH is a major thyroid hormone. Whether TSH promotes the progression of PTC is not known but the serum TSH levels reveal a positive correlation with VEGF expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou; Department of Surgical Oncology, First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lisong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Honggang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D013972:Thyrotropin
keywords: immunohistochemistry; papillary thyroid carcinoma; thyroid stimulating hormone; vascular endothelial growth factor