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Clinicopathological Roles of Alterations of Tumor Suppressor Gene p16 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

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Abstract

Background

Alterations of the p16 gene are common in human cancers, but their roles in thyroid cancers have not been clearly defined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological roles of the p16 gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods

p16 gene alterations were investigated in 44 patients with PTC (9 men, 35 women) by immunohistochemistry, reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The findings were correlated with their clinicopathological features.

Results

p16 protein expression, mRNA alterations, and promoter methylation were detected in 89% (n = 39), 77% (n = 33), and 41% (n = 18) of patients with PTC, respectively. There was no marked relationship between p16 protein expression, mRNA alteration, and promoter methylation. In follicular variant of PTC (FVPTC), there was a frequent lack of p16 protein expression and promoter methylation. PTCs showing p16 promoter methylation were often associated with a high AMES (age, metastasis to distant sites, extrathyroidal invasion, size) risk group and advanced pTNM (tumor–lymph node–metastasis) stages.

Conclusions

p16 gene alterations are common and correlate with histological features and biological aggressiveness in PTC, suggesting that they might play an important role in its pathogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by CRCG Seeding Grant 2003–2004 of University Research Committee. The authors acknowledge the staff of Departments of Surgery and Pathology in Queen Mary Hospital in facilitating the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Pathology, School of Medicine, Griffith University, PMB 50 Gold Coast Mail Centre, Queensland, 9726, Australia

    Alfred King Yin Lam MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCPA

  2. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China

    Chung Yau Lo MBBS, MS, FRCS (Edin.), FACS, Pauline Leung BSc, Brian Hung Hin Lang MBBS, FRACS, Wai Fun Chan MBBS, FRCS (Edin.) & John M. Luk DMedSc

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  1. Alfred King Yin Lam MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCPA
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  2. Chung Yau Lo MBBS, MS, FRCS (Edin.), FACS
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  3. Pauline Leung BSc
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  4. Brian Hung Hin Lang MBBS, FRACS
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  5. Wai Fun Chan MBBS, FRCS (Edin.)
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  6. John M. Luk DMedSc
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Correspondence to Alfred King Yin Lam MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCPA.

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Lam, A.K.Y., Lo, C.Y., Leung, P. et al. Clinicopathological Roles of Alterations of Tumor Suppressor Gene p16 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 14, 1772–1779 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-006-9280-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-006-9280-9

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