Argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region associated protein synthesis for cytologic discrimination of follicular thyroid lesions

Abstract

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the thyroid gland is an important tool for preoperative diagnosis; however, its benefit is limited for follicular lesions. Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) are ribosomal gene regions that stain with silver (Ag) when they are active. These regions can be used to differentiate neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. We used a new AgNOR technique to investigate FNAB of cases diagnosed as follicular adenoma and carcinoma. Fourteen cases of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and 28 cases of thyroid follicular adenomas (FA) were stained using the silver NOR-associated protein (AgNOR) technique. One hundred nuclei per sample were examined, AgNORs were counted, and the total AgNOR area/nuclear area (TNORa/Na) ratio of each cell was calculated. We found that cases with FTC had significantly higher TNORa/Na than cases of FA. Also, cases with FTC had significantly higher AgNOR counts than cases with FA. AgNOR counting may help discriminate FTC and FA by routine cytopathology before surgery.

Are there any effects of chronic carbon monoxide exposure on argyrophilic nucleolar-organizing region–associated protein synthesis in rat myocardium?

“…NORs are functional subunits of the nucleolus in which actively transcribed rDNA is surrounded by different regulatory proteins. 9 There are a lot of studies evaluating the importance of the interphase argyrophilic NOR (AgNOR) quantity in tumor pathology, [10][11][12] hair root cells of humans, 13,14 developmental stages of infants with Down syndrome and healthy individuals, 15,16 possible effects of CO exposure on the NOR protein synthesis of lung cells, 17 and acute CO exposure in heart cells. 18 In the literature, there is only one study about the relationship between acute CO exposure and AgNOR proteins in the heart cells that was performed by us.…”

May argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region-associated protein synthesis be used for selecting the most reliable dose of drugs such as rhamnetin in cancer treatments?

“…Alterations in AgNOR protein amounts also refl ect the metabolic activities of the cells. We performed various numbers of studies on malign and benign lesions (41)(42)(43)(44)(45). In these studies, we evaluated mean AgNOR number and TAA/NA ratio as a new approach that may contribute to routine cytopathology for determining the proliferation activity of cells in malignant and benign lesions.…”

The detection of curcumins’ antitumoral effects via argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region-associated protein synthesis in mice with ehrlich’s ascitic carcinoma

“…These amounts of proteins also indicate the cellular metabolic activities. We carried various studies in benign and malign lesions (23)(24)(25)(26)(27). In those studies, we aimed to use the mean AgNOR number and TAA/NA ratio as a new approach in routine cytopathology for detection of the proliferation activity of cells in benign and malignant lesions.…”