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Lymphatic Vessel Density and VEGF-C Expression are Significantly Different Among Benign and Malignant Thyroid Lesions

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Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine neoplasia worldwide. The route for metastasis and loco-regional invasion preferentially occurs by lymphatic vessels. For this reason, the assessment of lymphatic vessel density (LVD) is supposed to represent both a prognostic parameter and also a potential therapeutic target. In order to evaluate the value of LVD in benign and malignant thyroid lesions, we analyzed 110 thyroidectomy specimens using D2-40, a specific marker for lymphatic vessels and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), the most potent molecule of lymphatic proliferation. LVD was significantly different between papillary and follicular carcinomas in total (p = 0.045) and peritumoral area (p = 0.042). Follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma showed an important difference of intra- (p = 0.019) and peritumoral (p = 0.033) LVD. VEGF-C was more markedly expressed in malignancies than in benignant lesions (p = 0.0001). Almost all cancers with high positive VEGF-C expression also exhibited increased peritumoral LVD (p = 0.049) when compared with the benignant lesions. Indeed, the high peritumoral LVD of malignant thyroid lesions is an important finding for surgery planning and supports the practice of total thyroidectomy in malignant thyroid neoplasm’s since the lymphatic peritumoral vessels definitely are an escape path for tumor cells.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the supply of the histological samples by the histopathology laboratories of Sírio Libanês Hospital, Oswaldo Cruz Hospital CICAP, and Diagnóstika Laboratory and the technical support of the Medical Research Laboratories 14 (LIM-14) and 26 (LIM-26) of Faculty of Medicine of São Paulo University.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that would prejudice the impartiality of this scientific work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Laboratory LIM26, Experimental Pathophysiology Program, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Eduardo Anselmo Garcia

  2. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Kleber Simões

  3. Medical Research Laboratory LIM14, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Alda Wakamatsu, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio & Adhemar Longatto-Filho

  4. Medical Research Laboratory LIM14, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Venâncio Avancini Ferreira Alves

  5. Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Adhemar Longatto-Filho

  6. Medical Research Laboratory LIM26, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Dr. Arnaldo Avenue, 455, 1246-903, São Paulo, Brazil

    Roberto Souza Camargo

Authors
  1. Eduardo Anselmo Garcia
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  2. Kleber Simões
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  3. Alda Wakamatsu
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  6. Adhemar Longatto-Filho
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  7. Roberto Souza Camargo
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Correspondence to Roberto Souza Camargo.

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Garcia, E.A., Simões, K., Wakamatsu, A. et al. Lymphatic Vessel Density and VEGF-C Expression are Significantly Different Among Benign and Malignant Thyroid Lesions. Endocr Pathol 21, 101–107 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-010-9116-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-010-9116-9

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