Article PDF :

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Article type :

Original Article

Author :

Ademola Idowu Soremekun, Olaejirinde Olaniyi Olaofe, Akinwumi Oluwole Komolafe

Volume :

3

Issue :

1

Abstract :

Background: Galectin-3 (GAL-3), which is known to be expressed in certain normal tissues and is implicated in tumor progression and metastasis, serves as a valuable marker for distinguishing malignant thyroid lesions from benign thyroid lesions. This study aimed to assess the clinical and histopathological features of thyroid neoplasms at OAUTHC Ile Ife utilizing GAL-3 immunohistochemistry and to compare these findings with those of studies conducted in other regions of the world. Materials and Methods: Histology slides from 56 patients with thyroid neoplasms spanning a 20-year period were subjected to immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies against GAL-3. Evaluation was based on the 2022 World Health Organization Classification of Thyroid Neoplasms, categorizing marker expression as follows: 1 (10–25% stained cells), 2 (26–50% stained cells), 3 (51–75% stained cells), and 4 (>75% stained cells). Negative staining indicated no staining, while localized staining (focal) represented 50% of cells stained (3 or 4 ). Results: A total of 56 patients with neoplastic thyroid disease were studied, including 15 males and 41 females. Among the 16 benign neoplastic lesions, four (25.0%) exhibited focal GAL-3 expression, while 12 (75.0%) showed no expression. Among the forty malignant neoplastic lesions, five (12.5%) tested negative for the GAL-3 immunomarker, while 35 (87.5%) demonstrated positive expression to varying degrees. Among the positive malignant lesions, two (5.0%) displayed focal GAL-3 expression, while 33 (82.5%) exhibited diffuse staining of tumor cells. The diffuse and strong expression of GAL-3 was significantly greater in malignant thyroid neoplasms than in benign neoplasms (p Conclusion: Our findings align with the previous research indicating that diffuse and strong immunohistochemical expression of GAL-3 is indicative of thyroid gland malignancy. GAL-3 serves as a valuable tool in diagnosing thyroid neoplasms, particularly in cases where histomorphologic characteristics are inconclusive or unclear.