Cancer Res Treat.  2001 Oct;33(5):433-437.

Clinical Analysis of PTEN, p53 and Her-2/neu Expressions in Thyroid Cancers

• Kim JS
• Bae JS
• Kim KH
• Ahn CH
• Oh SJ
• Jeon HM
• Lim KW
• Chun CS

Abstract

PURPOSE: The dual-specificity phosphatase PTEN/ MMAC1/TEP1 has recently been identified as the tumor suppressor gene most frequently mutated and/or deleted in human tumors. However, PTEN mutations have rarely been detected in sporadic thyroid cancers. Therefore, this study investigated the PTEN expression of thyroid cancer and the relationship between PTEN, clinical status and other biologic factors such as HER-2/neu and p53.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study samples consisted of 62 thyroid cancer specimens and 24 benign thyroid tumor specimens from patients who were operated on the Department of Surgery, Uijongbu St. Mary's hospital during the 5 years from January 1995 until January 2000. All tumors were studied by immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against PTEN, HER-2/neu and p53. The results were analyzed statistically.
RESULTS
PTEN protein was found to be under-expressed more frequently in thyroid cancers (29%) than in benign thyroid tumors (4.2%). The reduction in PTEN expression in thyroid cancers was not significantly related with the recorded clinical factors such as size, age, lymph node metastasis and p53, except for HER-2 which was found to be significantly related (p=0.001). HER-2 over- expression was noted in thyroid cancer (83.8%) more frequently than in benign tumors (16.7%).
CONCLUSION
This study has demonstrated that the under-expression of PTEN protein and the over-expression of HER-2 protein may play a role in the carcinogenesis and development of thyroid cancer.

Keyword

Thyroid neoplasm; PTEN gene; p53 gene; Her-2/neu gene; Immunohistochemical staining

MeSH Terms

Antibodies, Monoclonal
Biological Factors
Carcinogenesis
Dual-Specificity Phosphatases
Genes, p53
Genes, Tumor Suppressor
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
PTEN Phosphohydrolase
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Biological Factors
Dual-Specificity Phosphatases
PTEN Phosphohydrolase