Abstract
The association between cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) and ultrasonographic features as well as BRAFV600E mutations in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remained controversial. This study investigated the association between LNM and ultrasonographic features as well as BRAFV600E mutation in Chinese patients with PTC. A total of 280 patients with PTC in China were included in this study. 108 had cervical lymph node metastasis, while 172 had not. Younger age (<45years) and several ultrasonographic features were significantly associated with cervical LNM (Ps < 0.05). The BRAFV600E mutation was detected in 81.0% of patients with PTC (226/280). The status of BRAFV600E mutation was not associated with cervical LNM. However, Ct values by PCR and intensity of reactions by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for BRAFV600E expression had shown significant difference between group with and without LNM. Furthermore, an increased proportion of LNM was also found with the incremental intensity of IHC for BRAFV600E expression from weak to strong reaction after adjusted potential confounders. Further studies are required to verify this association and explore the intrinsic mechanism.
Highlights
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer, accounting for 80–90% of all thyroid carcinomas, with an increasing incidence globally[1,2]
We aim to identified certain US features of primary tumor which might be able to predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, and evaluate the BRAFV600E mutation from US-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) in a qualitative manner with immunohistochemical staining and PCR in order to investigate the association between this mutation and cervical LNM in Chinese PTC patients, a population in which the research on the quantification of this mutated allele and its protein expression remains understudied, at the background of the large variation in the prevalence of the BRAFV600E mutations in PTCs among countries
PTCs with LNM were younger than PTCs without LNM (40.48 ± 11.83 vs. 45.85 ± 9.81, p < 0.001), and there were more male patients suffering from LNM than females (55.4% vs. 33.5%, p = 0.001)
Summary
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer, accounting for 80–90% of all thyroid carcinomas, with an increasing incidence globally[1,2]. PTC cancer cells metastases primarily via cervical lymph node metastases (LNM). A recent large Chinese cohort study revealed that the association of this mutation with www.nature.com/scientificreports/. In our Chinese population with PTC, the relationship between BRAFV600E mutation and cervical LNM cannot be concluded. We aim to identified certain US features of primary tumor which might be able to predict LNM in PTC patients, and evaluate the BRAFV600E mutation from US-FNA in a qualitative manner with immunohistochemical staining and PCR in order to investigate the association between this mutation and cervical LNM in Chinese PTC patients, a population in which the research on the quantification of this mutated allele and its protein expression remains understudied, at the background of the large variation in the prevalence of the BRAFV600E mutations in PTCs among countries
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