Study On The Expression Of TTF-1, VEGF And FGF3 In Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the expression of TTF-1, VEGF and FGF3 gene product in benign and malignant thyroid diseases and explore their correlation and the relationship between their expression and the clinico-pathological features of thyroid carcinoma. Method: The expression of TTF-1,VEGF and FGF3 were determined by immunohistochemistrical staining technique (S-P and SABC method) in 61 cases of thyroid carcinoma(contained 43 papillary, 14 follicular,4 anaplastic carcinomas), 45 hyperplastic lesions(including 31 goiters,12 adenomas and 2 Graves' diseases)and 19 adjacent tissues that had been fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin.Results:The rate of positive expression of TTF-1 was 77.0%,47.4%and 64.4%,that of VEGF was 86.9%,10.5% and 17.8% while that of FGF3 was 60.7%,5.3% and 6.7% in tumor tissue, adjacent tissues and hyperplastic lesions respectively. The expression of TTF-1 was located at nuclear and that of VEGF and FGF3 was at cytoplasm and extracellular matrix. To the expression of TTF-1,there was no significant difference between experimental groups and control groups (P >0.05); The positive expression rate and strong expression of VEGF and FGF3 were elevated significantly in tumor tissue compare to hyperplastic lesions and adjacent tissue; there was more strong TTF-1 staining in the T1/T2 stage and well-differentiated cases than in control groups(P <0.05), The proportion of negative expression of TTF-1 was higher in poor-prognostic, III/IV class and mediate/high-risk patients compare to control cases (P <0.05); An inverse correlation was noted between the staining score of TTF-1 and the prognosis score of thyroid carcinoma (r = - 0.310, P =0.015); The proportion of overexpression of VEGF was higher statistically in T3/T4 stage ,poor-prognostic, recurrence and mediate/high-risk patients compare to control cases (P <0.05); There was a positive correlation between the staining score of VEGF and the prognosis score of thyroid carcinoma (r =0.323,P =0.011); on the other hand, There was no significant difference between the expression of FGF3 and all of clinico-pathological features of thyroid cancer.Conclusions:â‘ The overexpression of VEGF and FGF3 is an auxiliary diagnosis marker for thyroid carcinoma; â‘¡TTF-1 and VEGF can be used as a predictor for prognosis of thyroid carcinoma, for differentiated thyroid cancer. The loss of expression of TTF-1 and overexpression of VEGF in tumor tissue can predict lower differentiation , greater aggressive course and worse prognosisï¼› â‘¢To detect TTF-1 and VEGF by immunohistochemistry facilitate us to identify poor-prognosis and mediate/high-risk cases from thyroid carcinoma patients. Help us to understand new biological behavior of thyroid tumor.