title: [The expression and significance of trefoil factor 3 and SDF-1/CXCR4 biological axis in papillary thyroid carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3)with stromal cell-derived factor (SDF-1) and its receptor (CXCR4) in papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC), and investigate the function of TFF3, SDF-1/ CXCR4 and the relationship among them during the tumor genesis,development and outcome of PTC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detecting the expression of TFF3 and SDF-1/CXCR4 by immunohistochemical method (SP) in 92 cases of PTC and para-carcinoma tissue. Semiquantitative analysis of the results of immunohistochemistry was conducted by image analysis software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) TFF3 protein was expressed in the cytoplasm of cancer cells,while TFF3 was negative or weakly positive in follicular cells of para-carcinoma tissue. The positive expression rate of TFF3 was 92.39%, of which the strong positive rate of clinical stage III-IV accounted for 71.79% (42/59) and that of clinical stage I-II was 33.33% (11/33) (P < 0.01). The positive rate of TFF3 was significantly higher in the cases with lymph node metastasis than those without lymph node metastasis (100.00% vs 86.27%, P < 0.05). The AOD value of TFF3 was higher in PTC than in para-carcinoma tissue, that in cases with lymph node metastasis was higher than those without lymph node metastasis, and that in stage III-IV was higher than those in I-II (P < 0.05 or P < 0.05). (2) There was high expression of SDF-1 in the cytoplasm of malignant tissues. The para-carcinoma tissue was weakly positive or negative to SDF 1 and metastatic lymph nodes was weakly positive to SDF 1. The positive rates and AOD values of SDF-1 protein were similar to those of TFF3 in PTC,that is to say the positive rate and AOD values were higher in PTC than in para-carcinoma tissue, those in cases with lymph node metastasis were higher than those without lymph node metastasis, those in stage III-IV were higher than those in I-II, and those in patients older than 45 years old was obviously higher than those in patients under 45 years old (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); CXCR4 was also mainly expressed in cytoplasm with few expression in nuclei, while negative or weakly positive in para-carcinoma. The positive rate and AOD values of CXCR4 in PTC were similar to SDF-1, meaning that they were higher in PTC than in para-carcinoma tissue and associated with the clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and age (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). (3) There was positive relationship between TFF3 and SDF-1 as well as between SDF-1 and CXCR4 in PTC (r = 0.971, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high expression of TFF3, SDF-1 and CXCR4 in PTC are correlated with carcinogenesis and progression, and may play a significant role in evaluating the malignancy degree and progression of PTC.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jingfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D010455:Peptides; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2