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Somatostatin receptor expression in thyroid disease
Author(s) -
Atkinson Helen,
England James A.,
Rafferty Amy,
Jesudason Vim,
Bedford Karen,
Karsai Laszlo,
Atkin Stephen L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of experimental pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.671
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1365-2613
pISSN - 0959-9673
DOI - 10.1111/iep.12024
Subject(s) - somatostatin receptor , thyroid , medicine , somatostatin , pathology , thyroiditis , endocrinology , thyroid cancer , somatostatin receptor 2 , receptor
Summary Somatostatin analogues are commercially available and used for the management of acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumours, but the expression of the receptors as a target in thyroid disease has not been explored. To assess somatostatin ( SST ) and somatostatin receptor ( SSTR 1‐5) expression in both normal and thyroid disorders, as a potential target for somatostatin analogue therapy, 67 thyroid tissue specimens were reviewed: 12 differentiated thyroid carcinomas, 14 follicular adenomas, 17 multinodular goitres, 14 Graves disease, 10 Hashimotos thyroiditis specimens and five normal thyroids. Tissue was immunostained for SST and SSTR 1‐5. Positivity and the degree of positivity were recorded by double‐blinded observers. Somatostatin receptor expression was highly expressed in normal tissue for SSTR 1, 3, 4 and 5 (5 of 5, 4 of 5, 4 of 5 and 5 of 5 respectively) whilst SST and SSTR 2a and b were not expressed at all. The commonest receptor expressed for all pathological subtypes grouped together was SSTR 2b (63 specimens). The commonest receptors expressed in differentiated thyroid cancer were SSTR 5 (11 of 12 specimens) and SSTR2b (10 of 12 specimens). The commonest receptor expressed in benign disease was SSTR 2b (53 of 55 specimens). SSTR 5 was significantly under‐expressed in Graves disease ( P < 0.05). This study illustrates that SSTR 1, 3, 4 and 5 are highly expressed in normal, benign and malignant thyroid tissue. SSTR 2a and 2b appear absent in normal tissue and present in benign and malignant thyroid tissue ( P < 0.02). This suggests that focussed SSTR 2 treatment may be a potential therapeutic target.