Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid: a tumour histotype characterised by P-cadherin neoexpression and marked abnormalities of E-cadherin/catenins complex

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2002

Authors

Rocha, AS (Author) Other; Soares, P (Author) FMUP; Machado, JC (Author) FMUP; Maximo, V (Author) Other; Fonseca, E (Author) Other; Franssila, K (Author) Other; Sobrinho Simoes, M (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Virchows Archiv

Vol. 440

Pages: 498-504

ISSN: 0945-6317

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 22 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-PMG

DOI: 10.1007/s00428-002-0622-0

Abstract (EN): The cadherin/catenins complex regulates cell-cell adhesion and motility and is believed to have an invasion suppressor role. Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid (MECT) is a rare tumour characterised by a distinct morphological appearance and a questionable histogenesis. The coexistence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) foci in many patients with MECT suggests an association between the two tumour histotypes. In an attempt to clarify the putative relationship between MECT and PTC, we analysed tissue from I I patients with MECT by immunohistochemistry (E-, P- and N-cadherins and alpha-, beta- and gamma-catenins). The E-cadherin gene was also analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). The results were compared with a control group of normal thyroid, classical PTC and the diffuse sclerosing variant of PTC. Compared with normal thyroid and PTC, MECT displays marked abnormalities of the cadherin/catenin complex. Such abnormalities include the consistent neoexpression of P-cadherin and major alterations in the expression of E-cadherin and the three catenins. Our results point to the close relationship between the de novo expression of P-cadherin and the disruption of the cadherin/catenins complex with the squamoid phenotype of MECT.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7