METHODS: We studied ER-α expression in 84 cases of PTC obtained within an eight-year period (2011-2018) by immunohistochemical technique (IHC). Associations between ER-α expression and clinicopathological features were evaluated using Fisher's exact test. The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: ER-α was expressed in 13.1% of all the PTC cases examined (n=11/84). There were no associations observed between ER-α expression and lymph node metastasis (p=1.000), tumour size (p=0.970), extrathyroidal extension (p=0.677), variants of PTC (p=1.000), age groups (p=0.188), gender (p=0.725) or race (p=0.920).
CONCLUSION: There was no evidence in this study to support the application of ER-α as prediction marker for lymph node metastasis or disease aggressiveness in PTC. Given that the scope of this study was limited to the protein expression of ER- α, we also propose the inclusion of molecular analysis of ESR1 gene expression, as well as inclusion of detailed clinical and radiological findings in future research investigating the role of ER-α in prognostication of PTC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 50 cases of thyroid lesions (20 cases of colloid goitre, 15 of follicular adenoma, 5 of follicular carcinoma and 10 papillary carcinomas). Digital images of cytologic smears of these cases were captured using a dedicated photomicrography system and nuclear profiles traced manually. With self-designed image analysis software, nuclear morphometric measurements, including texture analysis, were performed. Discriminant analysis was performed including the morphometric parameters and percentage of correctly classified nuclei noted.
RESULTS: Nuclear morphometry parameters showed that papillary thyroid carcinoma had the highest perimeter, area, radius and elongation factor compared to other thyroid lesions. Discriminant analysis revealed that altogether 77.9% of cells could be correctly classified to their lesion category based on the nuclear morphometric and textural parameters. Of the neoplastic cases, 84.5% of cells of follicular neoplasms and 72.5% of papillary carcinoma were classified to the respective category.
CONCLUSION: Nuclear morphometry, including texture analysis, can assist in the cytologic diagnosis of thyroid lesions, considering the high degree of accuracy of classification. Further studies and methodological refinements can achieve higher accuracy.