Immunohistochemical Characterization of Parafollicular Cell Adenoma, Medullary Carcinoma and Follicular Adenocarcinoma in Thyroid of Horses
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—NOTE— Immunohistochemical Characterization of Parafollicular Cell Adenoma, Medullary Carcinoma and Follicular Adenocarcinoma in Thyroid of Horses Toshifumi OYAMADA1*, Hideaki UEKI1, Hiroyuki KOWATARI1, Park CHUN-HO1, Yoshinari KATAYAMA2, Masa-aki OIKAWA2 and Hiroyasu YOSHIKAWA1 1Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, 35–1 Higashi 23 bancho, Towada city, Aomori 034-8628, 2 Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 321-4 Tokami-cho, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0856, Japan An Immunohistochemical examination was conducted using commercially available primary J. Equine Sci. antibodies to evaluate their utility for differential diagnosis of equine thyroid tumors i.e. non- Vol. 16, No. 1 functional C-cell adenoma, medullary carcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma. The pp. 11–17, 2005 primary antibodies used in the study were antibodies against calcitonin, calcitonin-gene- related peptide (CGRP), thyroglobulin, chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin and somatostatin. Calcitonin, NSE and synaptophysin were found to be useful to identify the origin of tumors as C-cells and thyroglobulin as follicular epithelial cells. In addition, it was found that detection of CGRP and chromogranin A is related with the functional status of C-cells. The carcino-related-gene (CRG) product, bcl-2, was positive in medullary carcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma, and weakly positive to negative in non- functional C-cell adenoma. Another CRG product, p53, was positive in non-functional C-cell adenoma and follicular adenocarcinoma, and negative in medullary carcinoma. These results suggest that the expression pattern of 9 antigens used may be of help for the differential diagnosis of these tumors. Key words: horse, Immunohistopathology, thyroid, tumor Tumors occurring in the thyroid gland are primarily either pathomorphological examination by HE derived from 2 types of cells: the follicular epithelial staining or ultrastructural examination are at present, cell and the parafollicular cell (C-cell). There are the only methods for differential diagnosis. Previously, extensive studies on immunohistochemical we reported that thyroid tumors frequently found in characterization of thyroid tumors in humans, dogs aged horses are derived from C-cells, but not from and rats [5, 6, 8, 12, 18, 19, 21], although there are only follicular epithelial cells as previously believed [15]. a few studies in horses because malignant thyroid During the previous study, we also came across other tumors are especially rare in this species. Generally, types of malignant thyroid tumors: medullary follicular epithelial cells are positive for thyroglobulin, carcinoma derived from C-cells, and follicular and C-cells are positive for calcitonin. In addition to adenocarcinoma derived from follicular epithelial these markers, somatostatin [5, 8] and calcitonin-gene- cells. In the present study, we conducted related peptide (CGRP) [3, 6] are useful for the immunohistochemical examinations using 9 identification of C-cells in some animal species. commercially available primary antibodies in order to Nevertheless, immunohistochemical examination of determine the most useful method for the differential thyroid tumors in horses has rarely been done. Hence, diagnosis of these thyroid tumors. Expression of carcinomatous character was investigated by two This article was accepted November 18, 2004 carcino-related gene products of bcl-2 and p53. Finally, *Corresponding author. useful primary antibodies for identification of follicular 12 T. OYAMADA, H. UEKI, H. KOWATARI ET AL. epithelial cells and C-cells in horses were evaluated the right and left lobes of the thyroid were fixed in 10% based on the findings of the characterization of the neutral buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin tumor cells. wax by the routine procedures. Thin sections (6 µm) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). Immunohistochemistry: Primary antibodies consisted Materials and Methods of antisera against calcitonin (Zymed Laboratories, San Francisco, USA), calcitonin-gene-related peptide Horses: As has already has been reported, twelve non- (CGRP) (Affiniti Research products, Mamhead, UK), functional C-cell adenomas, one medullary carcinoma thyroglobulin (DakoCytomation, Kyoto, Japan), and one follicular adenocarcinoma were examined chromogranin A (Nichirei, Tokyo, Japan) , neuron [15]. Age, sex and breed of the horses and diagnosis of specific enolase (NSE) (Zymed Laboratories), thyroid tumors are listed in Table 1. Slices (5 mm) of synaptophysin (DakoCytomation) and somatostatin Table 1. Age, sex and breed of horses, and diagnosis of the thyroid tumors Age Sex Breed Diagnosis neoplastic thyroid 14 gelding unknown non-functional C cell adenoma 15 male Anglo-arab non-functional C cell adenoma 15 female Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 20 male Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 20 male Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 21 female Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 22 male Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 22 female Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 24 male Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 24 female Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 25 gelding Thoroughbred non-functional C cell adenoma 26 male Anglo-arab non-functional C cell adenoma 27 gelding Anglo-arab medullary carcinoma 29 male Anglo-arab follicular adenocarcinoma non-neoplastic thyroid 10 male Drought horse 11 male Thoroughbred 13 female Thoroughbred 13 female Thoroughbred 13 male Thoroughbred 13 male Thoroughbred 13 female Thoroughbred 14 male Drought horse 14 female Thoroughbred 15 female Thoroughbred 15 female Thoroughbred 15 female Thoroughbred 15 male Thoroughbred 16 female unknown 17 female Thoroughbred 17 female Thoroughbred 17 female Thoroughbred 17 female Thoroughbred 17 female unknown 18 female Thoroughbred 18 gelding Thoroughbred 18 male Thoroughbred 18 female unknown 20 male Anglo-arab IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THYROID TUMORS 13 Table 2. Antisera used for immunohistochemistry Antiserum to Source Supplier Dilution Pretreat for antigen retrieval Human calcitonin Rabbit Zymed 1:50 in PBS non Human CGRP Rabbit Affiniti 1:4000 in PBS non Human thyroglobulin Rabbit DakoCytomation prediluted waterbath (95–99°C, 40 min. in citrate buffer pH6.0) Human chromogranin A Rabbit Nichirei prediluted microwave (500W, 15 min. in citrate buffer pH6.0) Human NSE Mouse Zymed prediluted microwave (500W, 15 min. in citrate buffer pH6.0) Human Synaptophysin Rabbit DakoCytomation prediluted proteinase K (room temp. 10 min.) Human Somatostatin Rabbit DakoCytomation prediluted microwave (500W, 15 min. in citrate buffer pH6.0) Human bcl-2 Mouse Nichirei prediluted autoclave (121°C, 5 min. in citrate buffer pH7.0) Human p53 Mouse DakoCytomation prediluted autoclave (121°C, 5 min. in citrate buffer pH7.0) (DakoCytomation) (Table 2). Antigen retrievals were for calcitonin, CGRP, chromogranin A, and NSE. conducted by heating in a waterbath (95–99°C, 40 min) Follicular epithelial cells were negative for all markers. for thyroglobulin methodology, in a microwave oven Intrafollicular colloid was strongly positive for (500 W, 15 min) for chromogranin A, NSE, thyrogloburin and weakly positive for somatostatin. somatostatin assays or in a protenase K treatment (10 Non-functional C-cell adenoma (Fig. 1): Tumor cells min) for synaptophysin assay. Immunolabelling was were weakly positive for calcitonin, strongly positive for performed with the polymer reagents Simplestain MAX NSE, weakly positive for synaptophysin, marginally PO (Nichirei) and EnVision+ (DakoCytomation). To positive or negative for CGRP, and negative for identify the immunoreaction, red substrates (new thyroglobulin and chromogranin A. In the C-cells in fuchsin [Nichirei]) or 3-amino-9-ethyl carbazole [AEC] the extranodular normal tissues, the staining pattern of [Nichirei]) were used, because all samples contained calcitonin of the tumor cells was generally weak, large amounts of yellow-brown lipofuscin deposits. although a very few cells were strongly positive. Some Sections were counterstained with hematoxylin. tumor cells were occasionally weakly positive for Detection of carcino-related-gene products: Bcl-2 and p53- somatostatin. Follicular epithelial cells were positive in gene-protein (bcl-2 [Nichirei], p53 [DakoCytomation]) rare cases for thyroglobulin and somatostatin, but were investigated by the immunohistochemical method negative with other markers. Colloid was positive for according to the manufacturer’s. Prior to incubation thyroglobulin and weakly positive for somatostatin. with the primary anti-sera, deparaffinized slides were Medullary carcinoma (Fig. 2): Tumor cells were placed in 0.3% H2O 2 to consume endogenous strongly positive for calcitonin, NSE, and peroxidase activity, which were subjected to autoclave synaptophysin, weakly positive for CGRP, and weakly to antigen retrieval by immersion in citrate buffer. strongly positive for chromogranin A. They were Immunolabelling was performed with the EnVision+ negative for thyroglobulin and somatostatin. Follicular (DakoCytomation) and AEC (Nichirei) were used to epithelial cells were negative for all markers, although identify the immunoreaction. Sections were intrafollicular colloid was positive for thyroglobulin, counterstained with hematoxylin (Table 2). and weakly positive for somatostatin. Twenty four normal thyroids from adult horses of Follicular adenocarcinoma