Neoplastic transformation results from a series of genetic alterations involving activation of protooncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Activation of ras protooncogenes by point mutation is the most frequent genetic alteration in spontaneous thyroid neoplasias. The goal of this study was to evaluate ras gene expression in the nodular goiter. Seventy-nine patients submitted to thyroidectomy and with a histological diagnosis of nodular goiter were included in the study. Tissues were obtained from both tumor and normal thyroid during surgery and frozen in liquid N2. Total RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent and the cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcription. Twenty-one of the 34 (62%) nodules showed elevated expression of at least one of the ras genes studied. H-ras exhibited overexpression in 9 of 29 (31%) and K-ras in 12 of 32 (37.5%) tumor samples examined. Our results showed ras over expression in nodular disease, with different pattern of expression between H and K-ras genes, suggesting that control of these proto-oncogenes expression might play an important role on neoplastic transformation in thyroid cells.
Multinodular goiter; ras protooncogene; Pathogenesis
