Significance Of Gaiectin-3Protein, CK19Protein, HBME-1Protein And BRAF; Mutation In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective: To explore the significance of HBME-1protein, Galectin-3protein,CK19protein and BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed in82specimens of PTC and82specimens of papillary benign lesions to examine the expression of HBME-1protein,Galectin-3protein and CK19protein; Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genesequencing were performed in60specimens of PTC and60specimens of papillarybenign lesions to detect BRAF mutation.Result:1. The positive ratios of HBME-1, Galectin-3and CK19were98.8%,97.6%and100%, respectively，their positive ratios in benign lesions were6.1%,25.6%and50%, there were all statistical difference between them(p＜0.05). There were norelationships between expression of these makers and the clinicopothologicalfeatures in PTC. The sensitivities of HBME-1, Galectin-3and CK19for thediagnosis of PTC were98.8%,97.6%and100%, respectively; the specificity was93.9%with HBME-1,74.4%with galectin-3, and50%with CK19. Whencombining these three makers, co-expression of HBME-1and CK19or HBME-1and Galectin-3was seen in99.9percentage of papillary thyroid carcinoma,respectively; the specificity can reach95.4%, if this staining result is chose asdiagnostic criteria of PTC. 2. BRAF mutation was detected in40out of60PTC with a detection rate of66.7%.There was statistical difference in BRAF mutation between PTC and papillarybenign lesions (p＜0.05) and no relationships between BRAF mutation and theclinicopothological features in PTC.Conclusion:1. HBME-1has the best significance among three protein makers which includedHBME-1, Galectin-3and CK19, all which can be of important value in differentialdiagnosis of PTC; combined immunohistochemical staining of HBME-1, galectin-3and CK19can make further improvement on the sensitivity and specificity.2. BRAF mutation is an event of genetics, which may have diagnostic value for PTC.