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Tenascin C in medullary thyroid microcarcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia

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Abstract

Tenascin C (Tn-C) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is expressed early in carcinogenesis including intraepithelial neoplastic lesions of different organs. In this study, we analyze whether stroma reaction seen by Tn-C expression is detected early in tumorigenesis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) including medullary microcarcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia (CCH), which is accepted to be a precursor lesion of MTC in the setting of RET oncogene germ-line mutation. Tn-C was expressed in the stroma of all medullary microcarcinoma and in the stroma next to CCH. Stromal Tn-C expression was significantly more often seen in CCH with concomitant MTC than in isolated CCH of hereditary as well as nonhereditary cases (p = 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). We conclude that Tn-C expression and thus early stroma remodeling is seen in medullary microcarcinoma and CCH. Stromal Tn-C expression seems to be an indicator of a further step in carcinogenesis of MTC irrespective of a RET oncogene germ-line mutation.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Oskar Koperek, Astrid Prinz & Klaus Kaserer

  2. Section of Endocrine Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Christian Scheuba & Bruno Niederle

Authors
  1. Oskar Koperek
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  2. Astrid Prinz
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  3. Christian Scheuba
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  4. Bruno Niederle
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  5. Klaus Kaserer
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Correspondence to Klaus Kaserer.

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Koperek, O., Prinz, A., Scheuba, C. et al. Tenascin C in medullary thyroid microcarcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia. Virchows Arch 455, 43–48 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-009-0786-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-009-0786-y

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