title: Expression and clinical significance of connective tissue growth factor in thyroid carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine expression of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene in human thyroid cancer and establish whether a correlation exists between the presence of CTGF protein and clinicopathological parameters of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  CTGF protein expression was investigated retrospectively by immunohistochemical analysis of CTGF protein levels in thyroid tumour tissue. Associations between immunohistochemical score and several clinicopathological parameters were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 131 thyroid tissue specimens were included. High levels of CTGF protein were observed in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue; benign thyroid tumour tissue scored negatively for CTGF protein. In papillary thyroid carcinoma, there was a significant relationship between high CTGF protein levels and Union for International Cancer Control disease stage III-IV, and presence of lymph node metastasis. In papillary thyroid carcinomas, CTGF protein levels were not significantly associated with sex or age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the CTGF protein level is increased in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells compared with benign thyroid tumours. CTGF expression might play a role in the development of malignant tumours in the thyroid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Guimin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peisong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Enmin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012737:Sex Factors; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C526317:CCN2 protein, human; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor
keywords: CTGF; Thyroid cancer; connective tissue growth factor; immunohistochemistry; thyroid carcinoma