Abstract
We immunohistochemically investgated the expression of ErbB-2 and c-myc proteins in stamped specimens from 43 papillary carcinomas, 26 follicular adenomas and 22adenomatous goiters. Papillary carcinoma had higher positive rates, 65.1%(28/43) for ErbB-2 and 60.5%(26/43) for c -myc protein, than follicular adenoma and adenomatous goiter (all P<0.001, Fisher's exact method). For these oroteins. the immunohistochemical results agreed in 71.4% of specimens. In samples positive for ErbB-2 the number of observed metastases increased with the number of lymph nodes examined, while in samples negative for ErbB-2 the number of metastases had no relation to the number of lymph nodes examined. The tumors positive for ErbB-2 tended to invade adjacent tissues. The c-myc protein had no relation to either metastasis or invasion. For both of these proteins, immunohistochemical results agreed with the cytological and paraffin embedded histological results in as many as 83% of specimens. These results suggest the potential usefulness of cytological examination in the preoperative estimation of metastatic status and the tendency for invasion.
