title: P2X7 Receptor Expression in Coexistence of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was aimed at investigating the relation of P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) expression with the clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) coexisting with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 170 patients (84, PTC with HT; 86, PTC without HT). P2X7R expression was examined by immunohistochemical methods. The staining intensity and patterns were evaluated and scored using a semi-quantitative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PTC with HT group was more likely to contain women and had less extrathyroid extension, lymph node (LN) metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, and recurrence than the PTC without HT group. Patients positive for P2X7R had significantly higher frequencies of lymphovascular invasion, extrathyroid extension, LN metastasis, and absence of HT. As shown by multivariate analysis, the expression of P2X7R was significantly higher if HT was absent and extrathyroid extension was present. In the PTC with HT group, the expression of P2X7R was significantly higher in patients with tumor multifocality, lymphovascular invasion, and extrathyroid extension. In the PTC without HT group, the expression of P2X7R was significantly higher in women and those having tumor multifocality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coexistence of PTC with HT is associated with good prognostic factors, and P2X7R expression in PTC was correlated with poor prognostic factors and the absence of HT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Sook
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
keywords: Hashimoto Disease; Receptors, purinergic P2X7; Thyroid cancer, papillary