Evaluation of MMP2, Caspase-3 and C-Kit Expression on Thyroid Papillary Cancer Prognosis

Abstract

A number of new molecular and genetic factors are currently being studied in determining the prognosis of thyroid papillary carcinoma. In our study, we aimed to determine if there was a relationship between prognostic factors and expression of Matrixmatalloproteniase 2 (MMP-2), the tyrosine-kinase receptor CD117 (c-kit) and caspase-3. MMP2, c-kit and caspase-3 by immunohistochemical (IHC) method were studied in both intact and pathological tissue of the thyroid gland removed after surgery in patients with thyroid papillary cancer. Prognostic factors such as age, histological stage, extrathyroidal spread, metastasis, tumor size were also evaluated. There was no statistically significant difference between prognosis and c-kit, MMP-2 and caspase-3 expression in patients (p>0.05). Clinicopathological parameters were thought to be more important than c-kit, caspase 3 and MMP2 in predicting prognosis in thyroid papillary cancers.