ObjectiveTo investigate the expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein in thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) tissues and cell lines, and then discuss the clinical value of Snail and N-cadherin expressions. MethodsImmunohis-tochemical SP technique was performed to detect the expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein in 60 cases of PTC, and the relation between the expression of Snail or N-cadherin and clinicopathologic indicators was analyzed. Western blot was used to investigate the constitutive and inducible expressions of Snail and N-cadherin protein. Results①The positive rates of Snail and N-cadherin protein expressions were 85.0% (51/60) and 78.3% (47/60) respectively in the PTC tissues of 60 patients with PTC, which were significantly higher than those (0, 0, respectively) in the corresponding normal tissues adjacent to the cancer (P < 0.01).②The positive rates of Snail and N-cadherin protein expressions in the PTC with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those in the PTC without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), which were not related with the gender, age, tumor size of the patients (P > 0.01).③There was a positive correlation between Snail and N-cadherin protein positive expression (rs=0.721, P < 0.001).④The constitutive and inducible expressions of Snail and N-cadherin in the PTC tissues and cell lines further were identified by Western blot. ConclusionsSnail and N-cadherin could constitutively express in PTC, which might play important roles in the development and metastasis of PTC. Snail and N-cadherin might be used as effective indicators.
ObjectiveTo investigate the primary culture method of human papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cells for a long term and establish a monitoring and verification measures. MethodsPTC cells were isolated following routine procedures and cultured in the DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, glutamine, and 20 ng/ml epidermal growth factor (EGF). Thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroperoxidase (TPO) in nutrient solution and specific antigen Tg expression of PTC cells cultured for different days were observed. ResultsThe PTC cells grew satisfactorily up to 45 days of incubation. Tg content in nutrient solution expressed the training period of a linear singular parabolic, achieved peak value (985.2 μg/L) at about 14 d. TPO had not been detected in nutrient solution. The Tg expressed positively by immunization fluorescent dyeing. ConclusionsPTC cells cultured in the present method can survive to over 45 days. A brief monitoring and evaluation systems of PTC cells has been established. This report prompts that cultured cells within 14 days maybe more suitable to gene research and provide alternative to the basic research of PTC events and features.
ObjectiveTo discuss the correlation of BRAFV600E mutation with clinicopathologic characteristics or thyroglobulin (Tg) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and its clinical significance. MethodsThe BRAFV600E mutations of 55 patients with PTC were detected by nested PCR. The relations between BRAFV600E mutation and the clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Results①The BRAFV600E mutations happened in 29 patients with PTC, the mutation rate was 52.7% (29/55).②The BRAFV600E mutation rate was related with extracapsular spread, multiple lesions, regional lymph node metastasis or average Tg value > 1.0μg/L during 2 years after standardized treatment (P value was 0.01, 0.02, 0.02, 0.03, respectively), but which not related with the gender, age, tumor diameter, or TNM stage (P > 0.05). ConclusionThe BRAFV600E mutation in PTC might lead to increased tumor aggressiveness and it might be related with increased Tg value after standardized treatment.
Objective To investigate the expression level and methylation level of micro RNA-34b（miR-34b） gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma （PTC）， and to analyze the relationship between methylation and clinicopathological characters of PTC. Methods PTC tissues and tumor adjacent tissues were collected from 25 patients with PTC who underwent operation in Huai’an First People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Sep. 2008 to Oct. 2010. Expression of miR-34b gene and level of methylation in gene promoter were detected by real time PCR and methylation-specific PCR in the 2 kinds of tissues， respectively. Results The expression value of miR-34b mRNA in PTC tissues was 0.85±0.05， which was significantly lower than those of tumor adjacent tissues （1.62±0.09）， P=0.030. There were methylation in 18 （72%，18/25） PTC tissues， and 10 （40%，10/25） in tumor adjacent tissues， and the ratio of methylation was higher in PTC tissues （P=0.021）. In PTC tissues， methylation was not related to age， gender， tumor size， TNM stage， and invasion of the capsule （P＞0.05）， but was related to lymph node metastasis （P＜0.05）. Ratio of methylation in patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than those of patients with no lymph node metastasis. Conclusion Methylation of miR-34b gene promoter is one of the reasons for inactivation of PTC， and it may be related to the development and metastasis of PTC， which needs to be further investigated.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of fluorescence tracer technique in sentinel lymph node (SLN) orientation of cN0 papillary thyroid cancer. MethodsThe total clinical data of 40 cT1-3N0M0 thyroid cancer patients admitted from January 2015 to January 2016 in our hospital were collected, and the SLN with indocyanine green (ICG) as fluorescent trace agent were observed and detected, and the effect of ICG detecting SLN and the guide role of SLNB on the dissection of the central area of neck lymph nodes by intraoperative frozen biopsy pathology and postoperative paraffin pathology were analyzed. ResultsA total of 40 thyroid cancer patients were treated by SLNB and then conducted by the dissection of the central area of neck lymph nodes, and 37 cases detected SLN, so the detection rate was 92.5% (37/40). And a total of 98 SLNs were detected, 1-5 for each case, average of 2.65/case. Intraoperative frozen pathological detected 28 cases of patients with metastases in SLN, and 9 patients without metastasis, including 1 case with postoperative pathology detecting micrometastasis in SLN and other 8 cases without metastasis in the central area of neck lymph nodes. Three cases who were not detected the SLN showed no metastases in final postoperative paraffin pathology. The SLNB of ICG fluorescent tracer was with a sensitivity of 96.6% (28/29), false-negative rate of 3.45% (1/29). ConclusionThe fluorescent tracer technique can guide the dissection of the central of neck lymph node of cN0 thyroid cancer patients accurately with a high detection rate and advantages of high sensitivity in detecting the SLN of thyroid cancer.
Objective To assess the applied significance of carbon nanoparticles in central compartment lymph node dissection in treatment of cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods Sixty-eight patients with cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma who were treated in Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College from May. to Oct. in 2012 were randomly allocated to the control group （n=32） and the carbon nanoparticles trace group （tracer group， n=36）， receiving non-carbon nanoparticles trace and carbon nanoparticles trace respectively. All patients were received total resection of thyroid plus the affected side and （or） contralateral side central compartment lymph node dissection. The lymph node-related indexes（including number of dissected lymph node at Ⅵarea and lymph node metastasis rate at Ⅵarea） and operative indexs （including operation time， blood loss， drainage time， complication， and hospital stay） were collected and compared between the 2 groups. Results There were 205 and 324 dissected lymph node at central compartment in control group and tracer group respectively. The results of postoperative pathology showed that the number of lymph node in central compartment of the tracer group was much more than those of control group （8.99±2.24 vs. 6.41±1.56， P＜0.001）. The metastasis rate of central compartment lymph node were 40.6% （13/32） in control group and 47.2% （17/36） in tracer group， but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups （P=0.762）. But in medial area of laryngeal recurrent nerve， the metastasis rate in the tracer group （38.9%， 14/36） was much higher than those of control group （12.5%， 4/32）， P=0.029. There were no significant differences in the operation time， blood loss， drainage time， hospital stay， and complication incidence such as bleeding， temporary hypocalcemia， and injury of superior laryngeal nerve between 2 groups （P＞0.05）. All the patients in 2 groups had followed-up for 6 months without death， recurrence， and metastasis.Conclusions The lymphatic tracer technique of carbon nanoparticles may improve the number of dissected lymph nodes in central region of cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma， without increasing （or prolonging） operation time， intraoperative blood loss， and postoperative hospital stay， and can accurately represent the metastasis of lymph node， thus to make the staging of the tumor accurately and guide postoperative treatment.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the pattern and predictive factors of regional lymph node metastasis in papillay thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MethodsThe clinical data of 223 patients with PTC whom suffered operation from Dec.2008 to Dec.2011 in our hospital were retrospective analyzed.The relationship among the lymph node metastasis of different area of the neck and patient's sex, age, preoperative TSH level, tumor size, multifocality, extracapsular spread, Hashimoto thyroiditis, nodular goiter, and the T classification of the tumors were analyzed. ResultsThe univariate analysis results showed that patient's age≥45 years old and associated with nodular goiter were statistically significantly related to central lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), for lateral lymph node metastases, the multifocality were statistically significant (P < 0.05).The multivariate analysis results showed that patient's age≥45 years old and associated with nodular goiter were protective factors for central lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), for lateral lymph node metastasis, the multifocality was risk factor (P < 0.05).Most of the lateral lymph node metastases were confined to levels Ⅱ-Ⅳ, and the incidence of level Ⅲ was as highest as 100%.When the skip metastasis, the levels Ⅱ-Ⅳ were the transfer of high incidence areas. ConclusionsWhen age < 45 years old of patients with PTC, the central neck dissection should be routine performed.The incidence of central lymph node metastasis will decrease if associated with nodular goiter.Because multifocality is a risk factor for lateral lymph node metastasis, careful inspection levels Ⅱ-Ⅳ should be performed during operation, espe-cially level Ⅲ lymph nodes.If skip metastasis is present, levels Ⅱ-Ⅳ dissection would be a proper treatment option.
ObjectiveTo analyze the relevant factors of levelⅡlymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carci-noma. MethodsThe clinicopathologic data of 83 patients from November 2011 to March 2014 were analyzed retrospec-tively. All the primary tumors were papillary thyroid carcinoma located in unilateral lobe with ipsilateral lateral neck lymph node metastasis. The relationship of gender, age, microcarcinoma, superior pole involved by carcinoma, integrated tumor capsule, or extranodal invasion to levelⅡlymph node metastasis was analyzed. The calculated data were analyzed with Chi-Square test and there was significant difference when P < 0.05. ResultsThe rate of lymph node metastasis at levelⅡ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵwas 51.8% (43/83), 78.3% (65/83), 71.7% (59/83), 4.8% (4/56), and 79.5% (66/83), respectively. There was no significant relationship of gender, age, microcarcinoma, integrated tumor capsule, or extranodal invasion to levelⅡlymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). The rate of lymph node metastasis at levelⅡwas significantly higher when superior pole involved by carcinoma (P < 0.05). ConclusionAmong the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, when superior pole involved by carcinoma the patient should be underwent selective neck dissection, the proper extent of dissection including levelⅡshould be performed.
ObjectiveTo investigate expressions and biological function of membrane type matrix metallopro-teinase-1 (MT1-MMP) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in papillary thyroid carcinoma. MethodsThe expre-ssions of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 in 164 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma and paracancerous tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.The association between the expressions of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 and clinicopathological characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma was analyzed. ResultsIn paracancerous tissues, the positive expression rate of MT1-MMP was 11.0% (18/164), and the positive expression rate of MMP-2 was 14.0% (23/164).In papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues, the positive expression rates of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 was 61.6% (101/164) and 67.7% (111/164), respectively.The expressions of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 in carcinoma tissues and para carcinoma tissues were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05).The expressions of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues correlated with the lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).In addition, the expression of MMP-2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues correlated with capsule invasion (P < 0.05).The positive correlation was found between the expressions of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues (r=0.256, P < 0.05). ConclusionsMT1-MMP and MMP-2 may be involved the thyroid capsule invasion and lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.MT1-MMP and MMP-2 may be involved in the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Objective To explore the manifestations and features of multi-slice spiral CT （MSCT） in the diagnosisof papillary thyroid carcinoma （PTC）. Methods Preoperative MSCT data of 35 cases of PTC proved by operation and pathology in our hospital form May. to Jun. in 2013 were observed retrospectively， to analyze the manifestations and characteristics of MSCT for it. Results Of 35 patients with PTC， MSCT totally showed 48 lesions， 68.6% （24/35） of patients with single lesion， 31.4% （11/35） of patients with 2-3 lesions， and 62.9% （22/35） of patients with lymph node metastasis. Of the 48 lesions， 29.2% （14/48） of lesions located in the left lobe， 70.8% （34/48） of lesions located in the right lobe；the lesions’ maximum diameter were 0.4-5.8cm， with the average maximum diameter of 1.3cm. There were 39.6% （19/48） of lesions with uneven density， 25.0% （12/48） of lesions with irregular shape， 47.9% （23/48） of lesions with blurred edges， 18.8% （9/48） of lesions had papillary enhanced tumor nodules， 10.4% （5/48） of lesions had peritumoral incomplete enhanced ring sign， 22.9% （11/48） of lesions invaded surrounding tissue or organs. There were 35.4% （17/48） of lesions had calcification， in which 76.4% （13/17） of lesions were fine granular calcification， 11.8% （2/17） of lesions were mixed calcification， and 11.8% （2/17） of lesions were coarse calcification. Conclusion MSCT manifestations of PTC have certain characteristics， which can provide imaging basis for clinical treatment options.