N-myc expression in neoplasia of human thyroid C-cells.

Journal article

In view of the frequent reports of the increased expression of myc oncogenes in several neuroendocrine tumor types, we have investigated c- and N-myc expression in human medullary carcinoma, a malignant tumor derived from the neuroendocrine "C"-cell subpopulation of the thyroid gland. In situ nucleic acid hybridization was used to permit analysis not only of tumors but also of normal C-cells which form a tiny, scattered, minority of the thyroid epithelial cell population. N-myc expression was readily demonstrable in 6 of 21 tumor samples and c-myc in one case, whereas neither N- nor c-myc mRNA was ever detected in normal C-cells. We conclude that N-myc expression is a specific feature of C-cell tumors and is not merely a differentiation marker of their cell of origin. The data therefore strengthen the hypothesis that myc oncogene activation plays a role in neuroendocrine neoplasia.

Authors: Boultwood, J; Wyllie, F; Williams, E; Wynford-Thomas, D

• Journal: Cancer research
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 14
• Pages: 4073-4077
• Publication date: 1988-07-01
• EISSN: 1538-7445
• ISSN: 0008-5472
• Language: English
• Keywords: Humans; Thyroid Neoplasms; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oncogenes; Gene Expression Regulation; Immunohistochemistry