Immunohistochemical expression of CD44v6 in differentiated thyroid carcinomas

AbstractBackgroundCD44 is a polymorphic family of cell surface proteoglycans and glycoproteins implicated in cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion interactions and tumor metastasis.AimThis study was designed to histopathologically examine and immunohistochemically detect the expression of CD44v6 in differentiated thyroid carcinomas, and its association with clinicopathologic parameters.MethodsForty different thyroid lesions constituted the material of this study. Cases were divided into a malignant (n=30) and a non-malignant group (n=10). Immunostaining was manually performed using CD44v6 mouse monoclonal antibody.ResultsCD44v6 expression was significantly higher in malignant compared to non-malignant lesions. This significance was not maintained when cases were categorized as neoplastic and non-neoplastic. Female sex and patients age <45years were significantly associated with higher CD44v6 expression in the malignant group. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) showed higher CD44v6 expression than follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). CD44v6 immunopositivity did not significantly associate with the microscopic variant of PTC and FTC. Also, tumor size failed to relate significantly with CD44v6 expression within the subtypes of PTC and FTC. However, female sex, patient age