J Korean Endocr Soc.  2007 Apr;22(2):98-104. 10.3803/jkes.2007.22.2.98.

p53, p21 and bcl-2 Protein Expressions and the Clinical Significance in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

• Jung TS
• Kim KS
• Oh YL
• Jung JH
• Lee EY
• Jung HS
• Min YK
• Lee MS
• Lee MK
• Kim KW
• Chung JH

• KMID: 1523089
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/jkes.2007.22.2.98

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There have been some investigations concerning the role of p53, p21 and bcl-2 protein expressions for the tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer. It had been debated that these protein expressions were associated with aggressive features of papillary thyroid carcinoma. We studied to evaluate the prevalence of these protein expressions and their clinical significances in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
METHODS
We selected 49 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who had been operated on at Samsung Medical Center during the last 10 years. Immunohistochemical staining for p53, p21 and bcl-2 was done by the use of paraffin embedded tissues. We analyzed the results of immunohistochemical staining for p53, p21 and bcl-2 and the correlation with the patients' age, gender, tumor size, multifocality, tumor invasion to both lobes, extrathyroidal invasion, cervical lymph node invasion, distant metastasis and the clinical outcomes.
RESULTS
Immunohistochemical staining for p53 was positive in 10 patients (20%), p21 was positive in 36 patients (73%) and bcl-2 was positive in 18 patients (37%). The p53 and bcl-2 expressions were not associated with the clinical parameters. Tumor multifocality and extrathyroidal invasion were significantly higher in the p21 positive group (both P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
This study showed that the p21 protein expression was associated with tumor multifocality and extrathyroidal invasion in the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stains for p21 may be used as a parameter for tumor aggressiveness in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Keyword

bcl-2; Immunohistochemistry; Papillary thyroid carcinoma; p21; p53

MeSH Terms

Carcinogenesis
Coloring Agents
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Paraffin
Prevalence
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*
Coloring Agents
Paraffin

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