Expression of MDM2 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Its Correlation with Prognostic Factors

Thyroid cancer is the most common Endocrine malignancy and the seventh common cancer in women. Different biologic markers are used to determine the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer. MDM2 is one of these markers. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of MDM2 expression in papillary thyroid cancer and its related factors. This study was a cross–sectional study with descriptive and analytic aspects. The study was performed on 73 samples from patients with papillary thyroid cancer who referred to Mostafa Khomeini Hospital in Tehran (2005-2008). After preparing the samples, a tissue section from each sample was obtained. One of the tumoral tissues and lymph nodes sections were stained with H&E method. MDM2 in other samples was assessed by an immunohistochemical method using a monoclonal antibody. We determined the size of tumor, lymph nodes involvement and the staining with MDM2. All of the samples were assessed by one pathologist. The data were analyzed through chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests using SPSS software version 11.5. The mean age was 41.85 with a SD of 16.65 years. 31/5 % of samples were positive for MDM2 and 21.6 % had lymph nodes involvement. There is significantly a direct relationship between MDM2 expression and lymph nodes involvement and tumor size (p<0.05). Regarding the role of the MDM2 in patients’ prognosis, it seems that as MDM2 in tumor cells increases, the lymph nodes involvement increases, too.