Reciprocal Immunohistochemical Expression of Sodium/Iodide Symporter and Hexokinase I in Primary Thyroid Tumors with Synchronous Cervical Metastasis

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis: Sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) is a glycoprotein which is related to the concentration of radioiodine in thyroid cancer. Glucose transporter-1 (Glut-1) and hexokinases (HK) are glycoproteins related to glucose metabolism (i.e., uptake and phosphorylation) in various cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical patterns of expression and mutual relationships between NIS, Glut-1, HK I, and HK II in primary thyroid tumors and synchronous cervical metastatic tumors. Study Design: Retrospective experimental study. Methods: Nine cases of follicular carcinomas, sixteen cases of papillary carcinomas, and four cases of anaplastic carcinomas were included. The immunohistochemical staining intensities were categorized (scored) as negative (0), weak (1), positive (2), or strongly positive (3) and dichotomized as a negative/weak (scores 0 or 1) or positive expression (scores 2 or 3). Results: NIS had a positive expression in good prognostic types of thyroid carcinomas, such as follicular carcinomas, more often, while having a positive expression in poor prognostic types of thyroid carcinomas, such as anaplastic carcinomas (P = .033) less of ten; HK I had the opposite pattern of expression (P = .033). Primary thyroid tumors and corresponding synchronous cervical metastatic tumors had a similar pattern of expression for NIS, HK I, and HK II. NIS had a reciprocal relationship with HK I as compared to Glut-1 with respect to staining intensity on each primary tumor (P = .040). Conclusion: Reciprocal staining pattern of NIS and HK I on primary tumors is related to the staining pattern of NIS and HK I on synchronous as well as occult cervical metastatic tumors.