title: E-selectin expression and BRAF status in papillary thyroid carcinomas: Correlation with clinicopathologic features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cell adhesion molecules, represented by the immunoglobulin family and selectins, play an important role in the progression of cancer. A correlation between selectins and tumor aggressiveness has been demonstrated in several reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight patients (mean age, 41.0 ± 14 years) with papillary thyroid carcinoma (conventional variant and sized approximately 20 mm) were divided in 2 groups: 41 with encapsulated tumors and 47 with tumors with extrathyroidal extension. E-selectin expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and semiquantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and normalized by calculating the z-score (positive: value above the population mean; negative: below the mean).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lymph node metastasis (LNM) was found in 2 of 41 encapsulated tumors (4.8%) and in 19 of 47 tumors (40.4%) with extrathyroidal extension. BRAF mutation was present in 21 encapsulated tumors (51.2%) and in 31 tumors with extrathyroidal extension (65.9%). The mean E-selectin z-score was -0.32 for encapsulated tumors and 0.28 for tumors with extrathyroidal extension. E-selectin expression correlates with neoplastic infiltration (P = .04), the American Joint Commission on Cancer stage (P = .02), and BRAF mutation (P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E-selectin overexpression in association with BRAF mutation status could promote a more aggressive phenotype in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: paolo.miccoli@dc.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Liborio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torregrossa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borrelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Materazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciato Insilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D016610:Tissue Embedding; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf