Polyclonal and monoclonal thyroid nodules coexist within human multinodular goiters

Peter Kopp*, Edna T. Kimura, Simon Aeschimann, Madeleine Oestreicher, Andreas Tobler, Martin F. Fey, Hugo Studer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

129 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although somatic mutations have been identified in a subset of thyroid nodules, the pathogenesis of nodules in multinodular goiters remains unclear. Clonal analysis indicates whether a nodule arises from the polyclonal proliferation of a group of cells or forms a clone from a genetically altered cell. Individual thyroid nodules have been shown to be of polyclonal or monoclonal origin. In this study we examined the clonality of several different nodules in patients with multinodular goiters. Clonality was established using the X-chromosomal probe M27β, which detects a multiallelic polymorphism at the locus DXS255 in 90% of females. Twenty-five nodules from 9 multinodular goiters were analyzed; 9 nodules were polyclonal, and 16 were monoclonal. Three goiters contained only polyclonal nodules, whereas 3 contained only monoclonal nodules. Polyclonal and monoclonal nodules coexisted in 3 goiters. In 2 goiters, the monoclonal nodules were shown to derive from different progenitor cells. We conclude that polyclonal and monoclonal nodules may coexist in multinodular goiters and that monoclonal nodules can originate from different cells. The coexistence of polyclonal and monoclonal nodules suggests that different pathogenic mechanism occur simultaneously or that monoclonal nodules emerge secondarily from a polyclonal population due to a growth advantage from a genetically altered cell.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)134-139
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Volume79
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1994

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Biochemistry
  • Endocrinology
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Biochemistry, medical

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