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J Clin Pathol 65:206-212 doi:10.1136/jclinpath-2011-200416
  • Original article

Expression of NCAM and OCIAD1 in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma: correlation with the risk of distant metastasis

  1. Jun-Yi Chen1
  1. 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  2. 2Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China
  3. 3Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  4. 4Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
  1. Correspondence to Professor An-Hang Yang, Rm. 6047, Medical Technology Building, Department of Pathology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, Province of China; ahyang{at}vghtpe.gov.tw

  1. Contributors A-HY designed the experiments, analysed the data and prepared the manuscript. C-HL supervised the experiments and analysed the data. J-YuC and J-YiC carried out the experiments.

  • Accepted 20 October 2011
  • Published Online First 12 November 2011

Abstract

Aims The biomarkers representing the metastatic potential of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma remain to be established. A study was undertaken to find whether the expression status of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and/or ovarian cancer immunoreactive antigen domain containing 1 (OCIAD1) is associated with the metastatic potential of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Methods NCAM and OCIAD1 were analysed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays.

Results Among 214 well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas, 68 patients had distant metastases. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that the majority of benign thyroid lesions expressed NCAM while a significant proportion of thyroid carcinomas lost or had reduced NCAM expression. Both follicular and papillary carcinomas with distant metastasis had a significantly higher frequency of preserving NCAM expression. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that OCIAD1 had significant differential expression between benign and malignant thyroid lesions. The overall metastatic-to-localised tumour ratio was higher in NCAM-expressing clusters, but the difference between ratios of OCIAD1-positive and OCIAD1-negative subclusters was not significant.

Conclusions These analyses suggest that the preservation of NCAM expression in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma is an indicator for a higher risk of distant metastasis. OCIAD1 is a potential biomarker of thyroid carcinoma but had no significant additive effect on the risk of distant metastasis. Further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the NCAM-mediated cellular processes will be beneficial for the development of effective treatments against the metastasis of thyroid carcinoma.

Footnotes

  • Funding This work was supported by Taipei Veterans General Hospital (V98C1-047) and the National Science Council (NSC96-2628-B-075-003 and NSC99-2320-B-075-002).

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval Institutional Review Board, Veterans General Hospital-TAIPEI, Shih-Pai, Taipei, Taiwan.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Responses to this article

  • Expression of NCAM may be associated with the immune response against well differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
    • Laura Sterian Ward
    J Clin Pathol published online November 22, 2011