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Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 EP1140 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP1140

1Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Department of Pathology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Department of Endocrinology and Endocrine Oncology, Theagenion Cancetr Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; 4Department of Endocrine Surgery, St Luke’s Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.


Background: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression have been described before in papillary thyroid carcinoma but data regarding association of this expression with tumour histological characteristics are scarce.

Materials and methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from adult patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), who underwent total thyroidectomy from 2009 to September 2012 were retrieved. Data regarding tumour size and aggressiveness were recorded. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry was used to characterise the expression of VDR and PR in thyroid follicular cells of the PTC.

Results: A total of 32 thyroid carcinoma specimens were used in the final analysis. Eighteen cancer specimens (56%) overexpressed VDR and 11 of them (n=34%) overexpressed PR compared to adjacent normal thyroid tissue. Co-expression of the two receptors was found in seven specimens (22%). Expression of PR but not VDR was significantly associated with the tumour size (r=0.645, P=0.007).

Conclusion: VDR is overexpressed in the majority of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, compared to normal thyroid tissue. However, the potential role of this receptor in the histological behaviour of PTC remains to be elucidated. Expression of progesterone receptor may be associated with a less favourable prognosis of this tumour type.

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