Evidence for mutual interdependence of epithelium and stromal lymphoid cells in a subset of papillary carcinomas

Abstract

Summary We have correlated the morphological features of 30 human thyroid carcinomas with the cellular localisation of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mRNA and IGF-1 receptor peptide using in situ hybridisation with digoxigenin-labelled oligoprobes and immunohistochemistry. Four of the five follicular carcinomas studied showed a consistent, uniform, strong positivity for IGF-I mRNA in tumour cells compared with weakly positive surrounding normal follicular tissue and negative stroma. The majority of papillary carcinomas showed weak to moderate epithelial positivity for IGF-I mRNA and negative stroma. Immunohistochemistry for IGF-1 receptor showed moderate positivity confined to the tumour epithelial cells in both follicular and the majority of papillary carcinomas. However, in a subgroup of papillary carcinomas characterised by a diffuse stromal lymphoid infiltration (n = 5), the stromal cells showed a much stronger reactivity for IGF-1 mRNA than the tumour or background thyroid, and the tumour cells showed a uniformly high level of immunoreactivity for IGF-1 receptor. These results are compatible with the growth of the papillary carcinoma in these cases being the result of a symbiotic relationship between the stromal lymphoid cells and the tumour epithelium with the lymphoid cells responding to an antigen produced by the tumour cells and the tumour cells responding to a growth factor produced by the lymphoid infiltrate. We suggest that this mechanism may be important in other tumours. regularly associated with a widespread lymphoid infiltrate.

Warthin‐like tumor variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: Case report and literature review

“…Eosinophilic changes in the tumor cells and a background complication of thyroiditis are not necessarily essential features in this disease. It has been reported that plasma cells within tumor stroma produce insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1, which acts on follicular epithelial cells that have IGF‐1 receptors, thereby inducing formation of tumor tissue 19 . It is also presumed that the interaction between the stroma and tumor cells forms WLTT 20 .…”

“…It has been reported that plasma cells within tumor stroma produce insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, which acts on follicular epithelial cells that have IGF-1 receptors, thereby inducing formation of tumor tissue. 19 It is also presumed that the interaction between the stroma and tumor cells forms WLTT. 20 Further studies are needed to investigate this, and accumulation of similar cases is also needed.…”

Expression of IGF1R in normal breast tissue and subsequent risk of breast cancer

“…For this study, one 5-μm paraffin section was cut from each of the five TMA blocks and stained with antibodies for IGF1R(22–24). Immunostaining was performed in a single staining run on a Dako Autostainer (Dako Corporation, Carpinteria, CA).…”

Hürthle cell tumours of the thyroid. A review with emphasis on mitochondrial abnormalities with clinical relevance

“…nodular goitre) associated with thyroiditis; this group includes a subset of papillary carcinomas with dense stromal lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, and large, pink granular neoplastic cells [3]. It has been advanced that in this setting the immune response and cytokine(s) production may also be associated with growth stimulation [58].…”