Galectin-3 expression in preoperative diagnosis of highly differentiated thyroid cancer

Galectin-3 expression in fine-needle aspiration biopsies from 66 patients with thyroid Nodes (TN) was studied by flow fluorocytometry (FFC). Cytological study revealed 29 patients with papillary thyroid cancer, 31 with follicular tumour, and 6 with colloid nodular goiter. Galectin-3 expression was documented in 27 of the 29 patients with preoperative diagnosis of papillary cancer; in 25 (92.6%) of these cases diagnosis of highly differentiated cancer was confirmed histologically, the remaining 2 (7.4%) cases presented with benign thyroid disease. Two (6.9%) patients without galectin-3 expression had papillary cancer. In the group of patients with cytologically verified diagnosis of follicular tumour, galectin-3 expresion occurred in 2 with highly differentiated (papillary and follicular) thyroid cancer and in 2 with follicular and oncocytic thyroid adenoma. The remaining 27 patients with benign neoplasms did not show expression of galectin-3. Nor was it detected in 6 (100%) patients with colloid nodular goiter. Sensitivity of flow fluorocytometry for detection of galectin-3 expression in thyroid node aspirates was estimated at 93.1%, specificity 89.2%, diagnostic precision 90.9%. It is concluded that this method may be used as an additional tool for preoperative diagnosis of high-differentiated thyroid cancer.