Elsevier

Surgery

Volume 126, Issue 6, December 1999, Pages 1195-1199
Surgery

American Association Of Endocrine Surgeons
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene expression in FNA samples from thyroid neoplasms,☆☆

Presented at the 20th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, New Haven, Conn, May 2-4, 1999.
https://doi.org/10.1067/msy.2099.101374Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open archive

Abstract

Background: Although fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is the most sensitive method for the detection of thyroid carcinoma, it cannot provide a definitive diagnosis of malignancy in 60% of the patients operated on for suspicious lesions. Recently, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) has been found to be a diagnostic marker of malignancy. We therefore sought to determine whether hTERT gene expression could serve as an adjunct to FNA in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Methods: Twenty-four FNA samples from thyroid nodules that were suspected of malignancy were collected. RNA was extracted, and hTERT gene expression was examined by RT-PCR. Cytologic and histologic examinations were also performed. Results: Two of three follicular, three of three Hürthle cell, and eight of eight papillary thyroid carcinomas had corresponding FNA samples that were positive for hTERT. One of two Hürthle cell adenomas was hTERT positive. FNA samples from three follicular adenomas and five hyperplastic nodules were negative for hTERT. Positive and negative predictive values were 93% and 90%, respectively. Conclusions: The detection of hTERT gene expression in thyroid FNA samples holds promise as a diagnostic marker in the distinction of benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Its application could alter the surgical management of these patients. (Surgery 1999;126:1195-9.)

Cited by (0)

This research has been supported by Interthyr Research Foundation (Baltimore, Md) and by NIH GCRC M01 award.

☆☆

Reprint requests: Martha A. Zeiger, MD, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery, 600 N Wolfe St, Carnegie 681, Baltimore, MD 21287-8611.