Expression of glutamine metabolism-related proteins in Hürthle cell neoplasm of thyroid: Comparison with follicular neoplasm
Yoon Jin Cha1, Haerin Jang2 and Ja Seung Koo1
1Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine and 2Integrated Science and Engineering Division, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Offprint requests to: Ja Seung Koo, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, South Korea. e-mail: kjs1976@yuhs.ac
Summary. Purpose. We evaluated the expression of glutaminolysis-related proteins in Hurthle cell neoplasms (HCN) and follicular neoplasms (FN) of the thyroid, and investigated its clinical implication.
Methods. Tissue microarrays were constructed from 264 FNs (112 follicular carcinomas [FCs] and 152 follicular adenomas [FAs]) and 108 HCNs (27 Hurthle cell carcinomas [HCCs] and 81 Hurthle cell adenomas [HCAs]. The immunohistochemical staining result of 3 glutaminolysis-related proteins (Glutaminase 1 [GLS1], glutaminate dehydrogenase [GDH] and alanine- serine, cysteine-preferring transporter 2 [ASCT2]) was analyzed.
Results. GLS1 and GDH showed significantly higher expression rates in HCN compared to FN (P<0.001). More HCN cases showed co-positivity of multiple glutaminolysis-related proteins than those of FN cases (P<0.001). In silico analysis, both GLUD1 and GLUD2 showed higher expression rate in HCA compared to FA (P=0.027 and P=0.018, respectively). SLC1A5 expression was highest in HCA, followed by FC and FA (HCA vs FC, P=0.023; FC vs FA, P=0.002).
Conclusion. FN and HCN exhibit a different expression pattern for glutaminolysis-related proteins, and GLS1 and GDH have higher expression rates in HCN and FN. Histol Histopathol 34, 167-174 (2019)
Key words: Metabolism, Glutamine, Hurthle cell, Thyroid
DOI: 10.14670/HH-18-036