J Korean Surg Soc.  2010 Mar;78(3):157-164. 10.4174/jkss.2010.78.3.157.

Clinical Significance of MMP-2, MMP-9 and HIF-1alpha Expression in Thyroid Micropapillary Cancer

• Choi JY
• Bae JS
• Kim YA
• Chang ED
• Cho HJ
• Kim KH
• Ahn CH
• Park WC
• Kim JS

• KMID: 2211943
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2010.78.3.157

Abstract

PURPOSE
Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (PTMC) is rapidly increasing due to increased interests in the public health care system and improvements in ultrasonographic instruments and fine-needle-aspiration technique. The aim of this study is to investigate relationships between clinicopathologic features and molecular markers of PTMC and to help in developing therapeutic strategies in PTMC.
METHODS
Tissue samples from patients with 38 PTMC and 21 benign thyroid tumors that were operated on from Jan. 2006 to Nov. 2008 were used to make microarrays and immunohistochemical staining for ER-alpha, E-CD, VEGF, MMP-2, MMP-9, and HIF-1alpha were performed. Clinicopathologic features of each immunohistochemical staining group were analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS
There is no immunohistochemistry staining in cases with benign thyroid lesions. The expression rate of ER-alpha, E-CD, VEGF, MMP-2, MMP-9, and HIF-1alpha in PTMC group was 66%, 58%, 82%, 66%, 71% and 63%, respectively. Bilateral tumor was statistically significant (48.0% vs 7.7%, P=0.015) related to MMP-2(+) PTMC group than in MMP-2(-) group. Bilateral tumor (44.4% vs 9.1%, P=0.060) and lymphovascular invasion (25.9% vs 0%, P=0.084) seemed to have greater relation to MMP-9(+) PTMC group than to MMP-9(-) group, but there is no statistically significant difference. Bilateral tumor (50.0% vs 7.1%, P=0.012), lymph node metastasis (45.8% vs 0%, P=0.003) and lymphovascular invasion (29.2% vs 0%, P=0.033) were significantly related to HIF-1alpha (+) PTMC group compared to HIF-1alpha(-) group.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that MMP-2, MMP-9 and HIF-1alpha expression could be used as a prognostic marker in PTMC. Larger studies are needed to assess its prognostic value in PTMC.

Keyword

Thyroid carcinoma; Papillary microcarcinoma; MMP-2; MMP-9; HIF-1alpha

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Papillary
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Public Health
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Carcinoma, Papillary
Thyroid Neoplasms
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Results of immunohistochemical staining of MMP-2, MMP-9 and HIF-1α (×200).

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