Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1987 Feb;40(2):136–142. doi: 10.1136/jcp.40.2.136

Expression of intermediate filament proteins in normal and diseased thyroid glands.

I D Buley, K C Gatter, A Heryet, D Y Mason
PMCID: PMC1140855  PMID: 3546391

Abstract

A total of 67 samples from normal and pathological thyroid glands were stained (as formalin fixed paraffin sections) with a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against intermediate filament proteins. The study confirmed previous reports of cytokeratin and vimentin coexpression in primary thyroid carcinomas, but coexpression was also detected in normal thyroid and in a range of benign conditions including follicular adenomas, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and diffuse hyperplasia (thyrotoxicosis). Prekeratin expression was found (using antibodies recognising higher molecular weight cytokeratins) predominantly in areas of squamous change, independent of the underlying thyroid pathology. This study does not therefore support previous findings that prekeratin expression provides a reliable means of distinguishing follicular pattern papillary carcinoma from follicular carcinoma with its poorer prognosis or that it helps distinguish benign from malignant papillary lesions. No evidence of desmin or neurofilament expression was seen, and in particular, neurofilaments could not be detected in any of the cases of medullary carcinoma studied.

Full text

PDF
140

Images in this article

138Fig 1
on p.138
138Fig 2
on p.138
138Fig 3
on p.138
138Fig 4
on p.138
140Fig 5
on p.140
140Fig 6
on p.140
140Fig 7
on p.140
140Fig 8
on p.140

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BULLOCK W. K., HUMMER G. J., KAHLER J. E. Squamous metaplasia of the thyroid gland. Cancer. 1952 Sep;5(5):966–974. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(195209)5:5<966::aid-cncr2820050512>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chase D. R., Enzinger F. M., Weiss S. W., Langloss J. M. Keratin in epithelioid sarcoma. An immunohistochemical study. Am J Surg Pathol. 1984 Jun;8(6):435–441. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198406000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cordell J. L., Falini B., Erber W. N., Ghosh A. K., Abdulaziz Z., MacDonald S., Pulford K. A., Stein H., Mason D. Y. Immunoenzymatic labeling of monoclonal antibodies using immune complexes of alkaline phosphatase and monoclonal anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP complexes). J Histochem Cytochem. 1984 Feb;32(2):219–229. doi: 10.1177/32.2.6198355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Debus E., Weber K., Osborn M. Monoclonal antibodies to desmin, the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein. EMBO J. 1983;2(12):2305–2312. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01738.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gatter K. C., Dunnill M. S., Van Muijen G. N., Mason D. Y. Human lung tumours may coexpress different classes of intermediate filaments. J Clin Pathol. 1986 Sep;39(9):950–954. doi: 10.1136/jcp.39.9.950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gatter K. C., Ralfkiaer E., Skinner J., Brown D., Heryet A., Pulford K. A., Hou-Jensen K., Mason D. Y. An immunocytochemical study of malignant melanoma and its differential diagnosis from other malignant tumours. J Clin Pathol. 1985 Dec;38(12):1353–1357. doi: 10.1136/jcp.38.12.1353. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gould V. E. The coexpression of distinct classes of intermediate filaments in human neoplasms. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1985 Nov;109(11):984–985. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harach H. R. A study on the relationship between solid cell nests and mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid. Histopathology. 1985 Feb;9(2):195–207. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.1985.tb02435.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harcourt-Webster J. N. Squamous epithelium in the human thyroid gland. J Clin Pathol. 1966 Jul;19(4):384–388. doi: 10.1136/jcp.19.4.384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Herbert V. Megaloblastic anemias. Lab Invest. 1985 Jan;52(1):3–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holthöfer H., Miettinen A., Paasivuo R., Lehto V. P., Linder E., Alfthan O., Virtanen I. Cellular origin and differentiation of renal carcinomas. A fluorescence microscopic study with kidney-specific antibodies, antiintermediate filament antibodies, and lectins. Lab Invest. 1983 Sep;49(3):317–326. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Huitfeldt H. S., Brandtzaeg P. Various keratin antibodies produce immunohistochemical staining of human myocardium and myometrium. Histochemistry. 1985;83(5):381–389. doi: 10.1007/BF00509196. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LaRocca P. J., Rheinwald J. G. Coexpression of simple epithelial keratins and vimentin by human mesothelium and mesothelioma in vivo and in culture. Cancer Res. 1984 Jul;44(7):2991–2999. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lane E. B., Hogan B. L., Kurkinen M., Garrels J. I. Co-expression of vimentin and cytokeratins in parietal endoderm cells of early mouse embryo. Nature. 1983 Jun 23;303(5919):701–704. doi: 10.1038/303701a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lang W., Georgii A., Stauch G., Kienzle E. The differentiation of atypical adenomas and encapsulated follicular carcinomas in the thyroid gland. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histol. 1980;385(2):125–141. doi: 10.1007/BF00427399. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LiVolsi V. A., Merino M. J. Squamous cells in the human thyroid gland. Am J Surg Pathol. 1978 Jun;2(2):133–140. doi: 10.1097/00000478-197806000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Makin C. A., Bobrow L. G., Bodmer W. F. Monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin for use in routine histopathology. J Clin Pathol. 1984 Sep;37(9):975–983. doi: 10.1136/jcp.37.9.975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Miettinen M., Franssila K., Lehto V. P., Paasivuo R., Virtanen I. Expression of intermediate filament proteins in thyroid gland and thyroid tumors. Lab Invest. 1984 Mar;50(3):262–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Miettinen M., Lehto V. P., Virtanen I. Antibodies to intermediate filament proteins in the diagnosis and classification of human tumors. Ultrastruct Pathol. 1984;7(2-3):83–107. doi: 10.3109/01913128409141467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Miettinen M., Lehto V. P., Virtanen I. Monophasic synovial sarcoma of spindle-cell type. Epithelial differentiation as revealed by ultrastructural features, content of prekeratin and binding of peanut agglutinin. Virchows Arch B Cell Pathol Incl Mol Pathol. 1983;44(2):187–199. doi: 10.1007/BF02890169. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Moll R., Franke W. W., Schiller D. L., Geiger B., Krepler R. The catalog of human cytokeratins: patterns of expression in normal epithelia, tumors and cultured cells. Cell. 1982 Nov;31(1):11–24. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90400-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Osborn M., Debus E., Weber K. Monoclonal antibodies specific for vimentin. Eur J Cell Biol. 1984 May;34(1):137–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Permanetter W., Nathrath W. B., Löhrs U. Immunohistochemical analysis of thyroglobulin and keratin in benign and malignant thyroid tumours. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1982;398(2):221–228. doi: 10.1007/BF00618871. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Ramaekers F. C., Haag D., Kant A., Moesker O., Jap P. H., Vooijs G. P. Coexpression of keratin- and vimentin-type intermediate filaments in human metastatic carcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 May;80(9):2618–2622. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.9.2618. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rosaí J., Zampi G., Carcangiu M. L. Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. A discussion of its several morphologic expressions, with particular emphasis on the follicular variant. Am J Surg Pathol. 1983 Dec;7(8):809–817. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Theaker J. M., Gatter K. C., Esiri M. M., Fleming K. A. Epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratin expression by meningiomas: an immunohistological study. J Clin Pathol. 1986 Apr;39(4):435–439. doi: 10.1136/jcp.39.4.435. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Viac J., Reano A., Brochier J., Staquet M. J., Thivolet J. Reactivity pattern of a monoclonal antikeratin antibody (KL1). J Invest Dermatol. 1983 Oct;81(4):351–354. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12519941. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Vickery A. L., Jr, Carcangiu M. L., Johannessen J. V., Sobrinho-Simoes M. Papillary carcinoma. Semin Diagn Pathol. 1985 May;2(2):90–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Yagi Y., Yagi S., Saku T. The localization of cytoskeletal proteins and thyroglobulin in thyroid microcarcinoma in comparison with clinically manifested thyroid carcinoma. Cancer. 1985 Oct 15;56(8):1967–1971. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19851015)56:8<1967::aid-cncr2820560813>3.0.co;2-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. van Muijen G. N., Ruiter D. J., Warnaar S. O. Intermediate filaments in Merkel cell tumors. Hum Pathol. 1985 Jun;16(6):590–595. doi: 10.1016/s0046-8177(85)80108-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES