Studies Of The Expressions Of Ret,HBME-1,CK19 And Their Clinical Significances In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective Aberrant expressions of Ret, HBME-1, CK19 have been found in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Therefore,we examined the expressions of these proteins in primary tumor samples of papillary thyroid carcinoma and some benign thyroid masses, discussed their diagnostic value and the relationship between these expressions and the local invasion , potential of lymph node metastasis of this tumor. Methods During the period of January 1975 to January 1998, 124 patients with thyroid masses(93 casesof papillary thyroid carcinoma; 15 cases of nodular goiter; 16 cases of follicular adenoma)who were never treated before were treated surgically in Department of Head & neck, Cancer Institute & Hospital Affiliating Tianjin Medical University. Archival tissue specimen of these 124 patients were examined for Ret , HBME-1 , CK19 expression by way of immunohistochemical staining. Results The rates of immune-positive staining of Ret, HBME-1 , CK19 in papillary thyroid carcinoma were 48.4%, 54.8%, 41.9% respectively, which were significantly higher than those in benign lesions (25.8%, 16.1%, 12.9%, respectively ).It was showed that the expression status of Ret in papillary thyroid carcinoma related to the local invasion and the potential of cervical lymph node metastasis of this tumor. On the other hand, the expression of Ret in papillary thyroid carcinoma was not related to the patients' gender , age, tumor size. No significant relationship was found between the expression of HBME-1 , CK19 and the gender , age , tumor size, local invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid papillary carcinoma. Conclusion The expression levels of Ret, HBME-1, CK19 are significantly higher in papillary thyroidcarcinoma than those in thyroid benign lesions, which may be of some diagnostic value in clinnic. The expression status of Ret correlates to the local invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma ,it may sreve as an important indicator for predicting carcinogenesis, progression, and cervical lymph node metastasis in this tumor. So the preventive neck dissection should be performed in the NO patients with this tumor whose tumor tussue expressed abnormal high level expression of Ret gene. The biotherapy of thyroid papillary carcinoma by way of the genetic regulation of Ret gene expression may be a satisfactory treatment method of this tumor in future. CK19 are valuable markers in the distinction of papillary carcinoma from papillary hyperplasia.