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Galectin‐3 does not reliably distinguish benign from malignant thyroid neoplasms
Author(s) -
Mehrotra P,
Okpokam A,
Bouhaidar R,
Johnson S J,
Wilson J A,
Davies B R,
Lennard T W J
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2004.01978.x
Subject(s) - thyroid , pathology , adenoma , immunohistochemistry , follicular phase , medicine , malignancy , multinodular goitre , thyroid carcinoma , carcinoma , thyroiditis , thyroidectomy
Aims: To determine whether galectin‐3 is a sensitive indicator of thyroid malignancy. It has been suggested as a potential marker for differentiating thyroid carcinoma from benign or non‐neoplastic lesions in preoperative fine‐needle aspirates (FNAs). Methods: Galectin‐3 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in formalin‐fixed thyroid tissues from 124 patients with histological diagnoses of papillary carcinoma ( n = 38), follicular carcinoma ( n = 19), follicular adenoma ( n = 32) and dominant nodules of multinodular goitre ( n = 35). Expression of galectin‐3 was also assessed by Western blotting in 24 fresh thyroid tissues. Results: Galectin‐3 expression was observed in the majority of carcinomas (papillary 92%; follicular 74%). However, a large proportion of follicular adenomas (72%) and multinodular goitres (57%) also expressed galectin‐3. In addition, galectin‐3 expression was observed in epithelial cells of normal thyroid tissue and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Galectin‐3 immunopositivity was significantly greater in papillary carcinomas than in dominant nodules or follicular adenomas ( P < 0.0001, P = 0.0005, respectively). However, galectin‐3 expression was no greater in follicular carcinomas than in follicular adenomas ( P = 0.8735). Western blotting analysis confirmed both the specificity of the antiserum and expression of galectin‐3 in multinodular goitres, follicular adenomas/carcinomas and papillary carcinomas. Conclusion: The data demonstrate that galectin‐3 is not a reliable immunohistochemical marker to distinguish benign from malignant thyroid follicular lesions.