BACKGROUND: Epithelial and mesenchymal transitions (EMT) are essential for embryonic development and progression of non-invasive tumor cells into malignant, metastatic carcinomas. During embryogenesis, the parathyroid glands develop from pharyngeal pouches and migrate to their final destinations, densely enclosed by mesenchymal neural crest cells. In this study, we examined the expression of the EMT markers Snail, Twist and E-cadherin in normal parathyroid glands and benign and malignant parathyroid diseases. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we compared expression of E-cadherin, Snail and Twist in 25 patients with parathyroid adenoma, 25 patients with parathyroid hyperplasia, and nine patients with parathyroid cancer with normal parathyroid glands. RESULTS: Normal parathyroid glands, parathyroid adenomas, and parathyroid hyperplasias showed a typical membranous E-cadherin staining pattern. Expression of Snail was found in 22/25 parathyroid adenomas and in all parathyroid hyperplasias. Twist was expressed in 22/25 of parathyroid adenomas and in 20/25 parathyroid hyperplasias. Snail and Twist positive cells were homogeneously distributed throughout the gland. However, in all nine parathyroid carcinomas, membranous E-cadherin staining was lost. In addition, the expression pattern of Snail and Twist was changed and mostly limited to the invasive front of cancer tissue samples. CONCLUSION: Expression of Snail and Twist at the invasive front and consecutive loss of E-cadherin in parathyroid carcinomas suggests a key role of EMT in the tumorigenesis of this cancer. The unique expression pattern could help to distinguish between an adenoma and a non-metastatic carcinoma. Loss of E-cadherin and change of the expression pattern of Snail and Twist together should result in an en bloc resection or a close follow-up.
BACKGROUND: Epithelial and mesenchymal transitions (EMT) are essential for embryonic development and progression of non-invasive tumor cells into malignant, metastatic carcinomas. During embryogenesis, the parathyroid glands develop from pharyngeal pouches and migrate to their final destinations, densely enclosed by mesenchymal neural crest cells. In this study, we examined the expression of the EMT markers Snail, Twist and E-cadherin in normal parathyroid glands and benign and malignant parathyroid diseases. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we compared expression of E-cadherin, Snail and Twist in 25 patients with parathyroid adenoma, 25 patients with parathyroid hyperplasia, and nine patients with parathyroid cancer with normal parathyroid glands. RESULTS: Normal parathyroid glands, parathyroid adenomas, and parathyroid hyperplasias showed a typical membranous E-cadherin staining pattern. Expression of Snail was found in 22/25 parathyroid adenomas and in all parathyroid hyperplasias. Twist was expressed in 22/25 of parathyroid adenomas and in 20/25 parathyroid hyperplasias. Snail and Twist positive cells were homogeneously distributed throughout the gland. However, in all nine parathyroid carcinomas, membranous E-cadherin staining was lost. In addition, the expression pattern of Snail and Twist was changed and mostly limited to the invasive front of cancer tissue samples. CONCLUSION: Expression of Snail and Twist at the invasive front and consecutive loss of E-cadherin in parathyroid carcinomas suggests a key role of EMT in the tumorigenesis of this cancer. The unique expression pattern could help to distinguish between an adenoma and a non-metastatic carcinoma. Loss of E-cadherin and change of the expression pattern of Snail and Twist together should result in an en bloc resection or a close follow-up.
Authors: Rebecca A Whipple; Michael A Matrone; Edward H Cho; Eric M Balzer; Michele I Vitolo; Jennifer R Yoon; Olga B Ioffe; Kimberly C Tuttle; Jing Yang; Stuart S Martin Journal: Cancer Res Date: 2010-10-05 Impact factor: 12.701
Authors: Angelica M Silva-Figueroa; Roland Bassett; Ioannis Christakis; Pablo Moreno; Callisia N Clarke; Naifa L Busaidy; Elizabeth G Grubbs; Jeffrey E Lee; Nancy D Perrier; Michelle D Williams Journal: Endocr Pathol Date: 2019-12 Impact factor: 3.943
Authors: Tony Navas; Robert J Kinders; Scott M Lawrence; Katherine V Ferry-Galow; Suzanne Borgel; Melinda G Hollingshead; Apurva K Srivastava; Sergio Y Alcoser; Hala R Makhlouf; Rodrigo Chuaqui; Deborah F Wilsker; Mariam M Konaté; Sarah B Miller; Andrea Regier Voth; Li Chen; Tomas Vilimas; Jyothi Subramanian; Lawrence Rubinstein; Shivaani Kummar; Alice P Chen; Donald P Bottaro; James H Doroshow; Ralph E Parchment Journal: Cancer Res Date: 2019-11-15 Impact factor: 12.701
Authors: Volker Fendrich; Katja Maschuw; Johannes Rehm; Malte Buchholz; Julia P Holler; Emily P Slater; Detlef K Bartsch; Jens Waldmann Journal: ScientificWorldJournal Date: 2012-12-27