2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Molecular pathological study for genetic alterations in juvenile thyroid cancer from Japanese patients
| Project/Area Number |
15590299
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Human pathology
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| Research Institution | University of Yamanashi |
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Principal Investigator |
KATOH Ryohei University of Yamanashi, Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, Professor, 大学院・医学工学総合研究部, 教授 (30152755)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MURATA Shin-ichi University of Yamanashi, Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, Associate Professor, 大学院・医学工学総合研究部, 助教授 (20229991)
NAKAMURA Nobuki University of Yamanashi, Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, Research Associate, 大学院・医学工学総合研究部, 助手 (40332671)
KONDO Tetsuo University of Yamanashi, Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, Research Associate, 大学院・医学工学総合研究部, 助手 (30334858)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | Juvenile thyroid cancer / RET gene / Gene rearrangement / Immunohistochemistry / RT-PCR / Japanese |
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| Research Abstract |
BACKGROUND. The frequency of RET rearrangements (RET/PTC) in papillary thyroid carcinomas varies significantly according to the geographic area, with the highest incidence reported in the Belarus region which is iodine-deficient and highly contaminated after the Chernobyl reactor accident, the lowest in iodine-rich and non-irradiated country, Japan. We investigated the prevalence of RET/PTC in a large number of thyroid tumors from Japanese patients.
METHODS. Fresh and paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from 215 Japanese patients were examined for RET rearrangements (RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3) by means of RT-PCR with primers flanking the chimeric region, followed by direct-sequence analysis.
RESULTS. RET/PTC was only found in papillary carcinomas (PC) and was not observed in other histological types of thyroid tumors. The overall frequency of RET/PTC in PCs was 28.4% with a higher frequency in younger patients : 41.9% in younger patients less than 20 years of age, 27.6% in patients 20 to 40 years of age, and 24.8% in patients over 40 years old. Of these three age groups, the prevalence rate of RET/PTC1 was similar, but RET/PTC3 was most frequently observed in the patients less than 20 years of age. When further grouped by histological subtypes, the prevalence of RET/PTC3 was higher in solid/solid-follicular PCs than in classical PCs.
CONCLUSIONS. RET/PTC can be a specific molecular marker for papillary thyroid carcinomas. Furthermore, its incidence in this tumor is not low in Japanese patients, and it seems to be associated with patient age. Therefore, our results raise questions regarding the dogma that frequency of RET/PTC is geographically different and especially low in Japan.
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Research Products
(1 results)
