Expression of C-ERBB2 and P65 genes and their protein products in follicular neoplasms of thyroid gland.

C-ERBB2 and P65 gene expression was investigated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method (RT-PCR) in thirty follicular thyroid cancers and twenty follicular adenomas. Additionally, the cancers and adenomas were stained by immunohistochemistry for the expression of their protein products. We did not observe P65 gene expression in any of the analyzed follicular cancers (n=30) but it was observed in 13 out of 20 (65%) follicular adenomas. The presence of C-ERBB2 gene expression was found in 18 (90%) follicular adenomas but not in cancers. There were 10 (50%) adenomas and 11 (36.7%) cancers with positive staining for C-ERBB2 protein and 15 (75%) adenomas and 2 (6.7%) cancers with positive staining for P65 protein. We conclude that expression of C-ERBB2 and P65 genes is associated with follicular adenoma but not with cancer of thyroid gland.