Abstract:

Objective To investigate the value of Cytokeratin 19 (CK19), HBME-1 and Galectin-3 in differential diagnosis of papillary carcinoma of thyroid and thyroid disease with papillary hyperplasia. Methods The specimens of 289 cases of thyroid lesions, including 144 cases of classic papillary carcinoma (CPC), 21 cases of follicular variant papillary carcinoma (FVPC), 19 cases of papillary microcarcinoma (PM), 46 cases of nodular goiter with papillary hyperplasia (NGWPH) and 59 cases of follicular adenoma with papillary hyperplasia (FAWPH) were collected. The expression of CK19, HBME-1 and Galectin-3 was detected by EnVision system. Results CK19, HBME-1 and Galectin-3 expressed in 100%, 93.1% and 89.6% of CPC, in 100%, 76.2% and 76.2% of FVPC, in 100%, 73.7% and 78.9% of PM, in 5.1%, 2.2% and 4.3% of NGWPH, and in 4.3%, 1.7% and 5.1% of FAWPH, respectively. There were significant differences between thyroid papillary carcinoma and thyroid diseases with papillary hyperplasia in expression of CK19, HBME-1 and Galectin-3 (P<0.01). Conclusion CK19 is a sensitive marker for thyroid papillary carcinoma, and HBME-1 and Galectin-3 are better in specificity. This panel of markers is useful to differentiate papillary carcinoma of thyroid from thyroid papillary hyperplasia.

Key words: thyroid papillary carcinoma, thyroid papillary hyperplasia, Cytokeratin 19, HBME-1, Galectin-3, differential diagnosis