Study of the correlation of papillary thyroid carcinoma's invasion with Ezrin, Moesin and E-Cadherin

Abstract

To investigate the effects of Ezrin, Moesin and E-Cadherin on the invasion and metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC). The 81 paraffin-embedded specimen of PTC treated in The Second Clinical College of Harbin Medical University from 2005 to 2008 were examined immunohistochemically for Ezrin, Moesin, and E-Cadherin. Normal thyroid tissues adjacent to cancer were control. The correlation of Ezrin, Moesin, and E-Cadherin expressions and clinical features of PTC, including gender, age, tumor size, invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage, was analyzed. Positive staining rates of Ezrin and Moesin in PTC were significantly higher than those in control (χ(2) were 61.691 and 57.949, P < 0.01, respectively). Positive staining rate of E-Cadherin in PTC was significantly lower than that in control (χ(2) = 64.241, P < 0.01). The positive expression rates of Ezrin and Moesin in PTC increased in the subgroups with age ≥ 45 years, local invasion, lymph node metastasis and stage III-IV, with significant difference respectively (P < 0.01), while the positive expression rate of E-Cadherin in PTC significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The up-regulation expressions of Ezrin and Moesin and the down-regulation expression of E-Cadherin were associated with the invasion and metastasis of PTC. Combined detection of Ezrin, Moesin and E-Cadherin in PTC might served as an important predictor for the invasion, metastasis and prognosis of PTC.