Relation between 99mTc-tetrofosmin thyroid scintigraphy and mitogen-activated protein kinase in papillary thyroid cancer patients

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between Tc-99m-tetrofosmin uptake and extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK MAPK) expression in papillary thyroid cancer patients. Materials and methods. Our study population consisted of 14 patients. The histopathological findings for all patients were confirmed by surgery. Patients were administered 740 MBq of Tc-99m-tetrofosmin. The tumor/background (T/B) ratios in regions of interest (ROIs) were measured at 10 min, 1 h, and 3 h to determine the uptake by papillary cancer. Immunohistopathological staining was performed, and the expression of phospho-ERK MAPK in papillary cancer was investigated. The relation between the expression of phospho-ERK MAPK and the T/B ratio was examined using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results. Tc-99m-tetrofosmin uptake was positive in all patients. There was a statistically significant relation between the T/B ratio (at 3 h) and the expression of phospho-ERK MAPK but not with the T/B ratio at 10 min or 1 h: T/B ratio at 10 min (P = 0.32), at 1 h (P = 0.62), and at 3 h (P = 0.0072). Conclusion. Our results suggest that the relation between Tc-99m-tetrofosmin uptake (3 h T/B ratio) may lead us to assume cell proliferation of papillary cancer.