• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.360-373
• /
• 2023

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid carcinoma. Despite a good prognosis, approximately a quarter of PTC patients are likely to relapse. Previous reports suggest an association between S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2) and the prognosis of thyroid cancer. SKP1 is related to apoptosis of PTC cells; however, its role in PTC remains largely elusive. This study aimed to understand the expression and molecular mechanism of SKP2 in PTC. SKP2 expression was upregulated in PTC tissues and closely associated with clinical diagnosis. In vitro and in vivo knockdown of SKP2 expression in PTC cells suppressed cell growth and proliferation and induced apoptosis. SKP2 depletion promoted cell autophagy under glucose deprivation. SKP2 interacted with PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase-1 (PHLPP1), triggering its degradation by ubiquitination. Furthermore, SKP2 activates the AKT-related pathways via PHLPP1, which leads to the cytoplasmic translocation of SKP2, indicating a reciprocal regulation between SKP2 and AKT. In conclusion, the upregulation of SKP2 leads to PTC proliferation and survival, and the regulatory network among SKP2, PHLPP1, and AKT provides novel insight into the molecular basis of SKP2 in tumor progression.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.88-93
• /
• 1998

In order to review the clinicopathologic characteristics of the thyroid cancer associated with benign thyroid disease, we evaluated 47 patients treated between January, 1993 and September, 1997 at the Chonnam National University Hospital. In those period, we had operated a total of 690 thyroidectomy of which 320 were diagnosed as thyroid cancer. Forty three(91.4%)occurred in women and four(8.5%)occurred in men. The mean age at operation was 46.7years(range, 15 to 76 years). Forty three of the 47 cancers(91.4%) were papillary carcinomas while 4(8.5%)were follicular. Twenty four of the 47 patients (51%) were occult thyroid carcinomas measured less than 1 cm in diameter. The concurrent benign disease were nodular goiter(n=17), Hashimoto's thyroiditis(n=16), follicular adenoma(n=10), Graves' disease(n=2) and diffuse hyperplasia(n=2). Thirty one patients were diagnosed by preoperative FNAC and they underwent total thyroidectomy. Three were diagnosed by frozen section examination at the time of operation. Among them, one underwent total thyroidectomy and two underwent subtotal thyroidectomy. Eight cases revealed lymph node metastases and 2 cases extended to surrounding muscles. In conclusion, concurrent thyroid cancers and benign thyroid disease are not uncommon and a regular ultrasonic follow-up with selective aspiration cytologic examination is recommaned to enhance their diagnostic accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.135-142
• /
• 2004

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for prognostic significance of VEGF expression and tumor angiogenesis in papillary carcinomas of the thyroid. Materials and Methods: The materials were 79 cases of papillary thyroid carcinomas, and age, sex, tumor size, multiplicity of tumor, capsular invasion, lymph node metastasis, recurrence, TNM stage, DeGroot stage and AMES scale were evaluated. An immunohistochemical stains for CD 34 to estimate microvessel density (MVD), and VEGF were done. MVD was defined as an average count of vessels per ${\times}400$ power field in the most vascularized area. VEGF expression was interpreted as 1+ and 2+ according to staining intensity and percentages of positive cells. Results: Mean score of MVD was $39.7{\pm}16.9.$ MVD were significantly higher in cases with capsular invasion (p=0.0001), lymph node metastasis (p=0.0001), TNM stage III (p=0.0022), DeGroot stage III (p=0.0163) and high risk group by AMES scale (p=0.0001). VEGF 2+ expression rate was significantly increased in cases with capsular invasion and lymph node metastasis (p=0.0006, p=0.0013), and in cases with TNM stage III, DeGroot stage III and high risk group by AMES scale (p=0.0236, p=0.0003, p=0.0293). In VEGF 2 + expression group, MVD was significantly higher than in VEGF 1 + group (p=0.0008), and MVD showed positive relation to VEGF 2 + expression (r=0.4616). Conclusion: VEGF expression and high MVD were significantly correlated to capsular invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage III, DeGroot stage III and high risk group by AMES scale. The expression of VEGF and high MVD could be considered to be one of prognostic factor in papillary thyroid carcinomas.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.122-126
• /
• 2015

Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a monoclonal plasma cell disorder. Patients with POEMS syndrome also have various clinical manifestations including generalized edema, pleural effusion, ascites, papilledema, and sclerotic bone lesions. These manifestations can lead to a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. We recently experienced a 51-year-old male patient with POEMS syndrome whose sclerotic bone lesion was misdiagnosed as malignant bone metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma. We reassessed the patient and found polyneuropathy, hepatosplenomegaly, hypothyroidism, partial hypopituitarism, immunoglobulin G lambda-type monoclonal gammopathy, hypertrichosis, ascites, and multiple sclerotic bone lesions, all of which led us to a diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. Treatment with thalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in clinical and radiological improvement. The patient has remained in remission after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.3-6
• /
• 1994

Neck dissection has become an integral part of the staging and management of head and neck tumors. This paper reports a series of head and neck patients who had pathological findings in their neck dissection specimens, which were unrelated to their primary tumors. In 7 cases, there was unexpected pathology in the cervical lymph nodes which was not related to the primary tumor. Four cases were squamous cell carcinomas and 3 were thyroid carcinomas. In 3 cases of squamous cell carcinomas, there were no evidence of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in neck dissection specimen; however, the lymph nodes were found to be involved by metastatic papillary carcinoma in one larynx cancer, metastatic adenocarcinoma in the other larynx cancer, tuberculosis in one nasopharynx cancer. In three of neck dissection specimen of carcinoma(two thyroid carcinomas, one laryngeal carcinoma), dual nodal pathology was found: Each of these specimen contained carcinoma with tuberculosis of the lymph nodes in three cases. In one thyroid carcinoma, there was no evidence of metastasis; however, the lymph nodes were found to be involved by tuberculosis. Preoperative assessment did not reveal any findings to alert us to the possibility of a synchronous pathological process in the cervical nodes of this group of 7 patients. In particular, there was no evidence of active pulmonary tuberculosis in the 5 patients with active lymph node disease.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.50-55
• /
• 2002

Objectives: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy with favorable histologic and prognostic characteristics. Total or near total thyroidectomy has been used as a standard surgical procedure. The aims of this study are to determine the extent of resection of thyroid gland and to find the influencing factors of lymph node metastasis. Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed the records of 194 patients of thyroid cancer surgically treated at Department of General Surgery, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital from January, 1996 to December, 2000. Pathologic classifications, surgical procedures, and lymph node metastasis were analyzed. Results: There were 163 women and 31 men. The age ranged from 12 to 79 years old (mean age 43.2 years). The histological classifications of 194 cases revealed papillary cancer in 171 cases (88.1%), follicular cancer in 17 cases (8.8%), undifferentiated cancer in 3 cases (1.6%), medullary cancer in 2 cases (1.0%) and mixed cancer in 1 case (0.5%). Among the 194 patients, lobectomy was perfomed in 31 patients, subtotal thyroidectomy in 30 patients, near total thyroidectomy in 82 patients and total thyroidectomy in 51 patients. In the subgroup of papillary carcinoma 141 cases with lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis had no statistical significance according to sex, age and primary tumor size. Conclusions: The mainly performed surgical procedures were total thyroidectomy and near total thyroidectomy. In thyroid cancer surgery, the extent of resection was influenced by age, differentiation and primary tumor size. The lymph node dissection should be decided by lymph node metastasis identified by preoperative radiologic evaluation or intraoperative lymph node findings.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.8-15
• /
• 1996

When thyroid carcinoma invades the larynx or trachea, the proper treatment is needed because of significant morbidity and mortality due to airway obstruction. Hemoptysis and dyspnea are the result of intraluminal extension of the tumor and call for immediate investigation with endoscopic examination and CT. If the thyroid carcinoma with extracapsular spread invades only outer perichondrium of the tracheal or laryngeal cartilage, the shaving operation would be sufficient, but if the tumor invades the cartilage or if there is intraluminal invasion, it is mandatory to remove partial or total part of some aerodigestive tract structures. We retrospectively analyzed 14 surgical cases of the thyroid cancer with laryngotracheal invasion(12 papillary carcinomas and 2 anaplastic carcinomas) at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital. The analysis was focused on clinical manifestation, pathologic findings, types of management and results. Survival result was not adequately analyzed due to some recently operated cases.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.511-515
• /
• 2004

Purpose: The sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) expression is an important factor in determining the sensitivity of radioiodine therapy in well-differentiated thyroid cancers. Several previous studies for the expression of NIS in thyroid tissues show diverse results. To investigate whether there is difference between methods in determining the expression of NIS in thyroid tissues of patients with thyroid nodules, we measured the expression ot NIS using two different methods (RT-PCR and immunoshistochemical staining) and compared the results. Materials & Methods: We measured the expression of NIS by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and also by immunohistochemical staining using anti-NIS antibody in thyroid cancers and other benign thyroid diseases. We compared the results of each method. We included 19 papillary carcinomas, 1 follicular carcinoma, 7 medullary carcinoma, 4 adenomas and 7 nodular hyperplasias. Results: By RT-PCR analysis, 10 of 19 papillary carcinomas expressed NIS, but 1 follicular cancer didn't express NIS. By immunohistochemical staining, 15 of 19 papaillary carcinomas express NIS, but 1 follicular lancer didn't express NIS. There was a significant correlation between the semiquautitative results of RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining of NIS expression. (p<0.01) Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that the expression of NIS in thyroid cancers and other benign diseases investigated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining correlated well each other. However, by immunohistochemical staining, more NIS expression was found.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 1994

A case of poorly differentiated "insular" carcinoma of the thyroid is presented and discussed with references to the literature. Un fine needle aspiration cytology of our case, the aspirates were highly cellular with tumor cells appearing as dispersed isolated cells as well as in dense clusters and syncytial formations. Occasional microfollicles containing colloid were evident. Most of nuclei were fairly uniform with considerable variability and a few showed definite atypical features. Nuclear grooving was additional features. Necrotic debris was not seen. Our cytologic findings were correlated well with histology, confirming typical insular pattern of tumor cells with the presence of occasional pleomorphic cells and papillary carcinoma-like features. With much attention to cytological features of insular carcinoma, it would be possible to diagnose a preoperative suggestive diagnosis, even though not definitive.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.3-8
• /
• 1999

Objective: The expression of Ki67, a proliferation marker, and p27, a cyclin dependent kinases(CDKs) inhibitor, has been studied in various human neoplasms. This study was carried out to determine whether these markers are useful in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions of the thyroid or predicting biologic behavior of malignant lesions. Material and Methods: Using immunohistochemical techniques with monoclonal antibodies to Ki67 and p27, we analyzed the expression of Ki67 and p27 in various thyroid disorders(25 follicular adenomas, 47 follicular carcinomas, 16 papillary carcinomas, 20 adenomatous goiters and 40 normal thyroid tissues). The labeling indices(LIs) were determined by counting cells expressing these markers in 1000 cells per immunostained slide. Results: Neoplastic thyroid diseases showed higher expression of Ki67 and lower expression of p27 than non-neoplastic diseases(p<0.05). The expression of p27 was significantly different between follicular adenomas($LI=55.4{\pm}5.7$) and follicular carcinomas($LI=23.2{\pm}10.2$). There was, however, no significant correlation between the degree of Ki67 and p27labeling indices and types of carcinoma or clinical aggressiveness of diseases. Conclusion: The degree of Ki67 and p27 expression was useful in distinguishing between benign from malignant thyroid lesions, particulary between follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma, but was not directly proportional to the tumor aggressiveness.