Differential pattern of integrin receptor expression in differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines

Adhesion of tumor cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a crucial step for the development of metastatic disease and is mediated by specific integrin receptor molecules (IRM). The pattern of metastatic spread differs substantially amoung the various histotypes of thyroid cancer (TC). However, IRM have only occasionally been characterized in TC until now. IRM expression was investigated in 10 differentiated (FTC133, 236, 238, HTC, HTC TSHr, XTC, PTC4.0/4.2, TPC1, Kat5) and two anaplastic TC cell lines (ATC, C643, Hth74), primary cultures of normal thyroid tissue (Thy1,3), and thyroid cancer specimens (TCS). Expression of 16 IRM beta 1-4, beta 7, alpha-6, alpha V, alpha IIb, alpha L, alpha M, alpha X) and of four IRM heterodimers (alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 5 beta 1, alpha V beta 3, alpha V beta 5), was analyzed by fluorescent-activated cell sorter (FACS) and immunohistochemical staining. Thyroid tumor cell adhesion to ECM proteins and their IRM expression in response to thyrotropin (TSH) was assessed. Follicular TC cell lines presented high levels of integrins alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, beta 1, beta 3 and low levels of alpha 1, whereas papillary lines expressed a heterogenous pattern of IRM, dominated by alpha 5 and beta 1. ATC mainly displayed integrins alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 6, beta 1 and low levels of alpha 1, alpha 4 and alpha V. Integrin heterodimers correlated with monomer expression. Evaluation of TCS largely confirmed these results with few exeptions, namely alpha 4, alpha 6, and beta 3. The ability of TC cell lines to adhere to purified ECM proteins correlated with IRM expression. TSH induced TC cell adhesion in a dose-dependent fashion, despite an unchanged array of IRM expression or level of a particular IRM. Thyroid carcinoma cell lines of different histogenetic background display profoundly different patterns of IRM expression that appear to correlate with tumor aggressiveness. M vitro adhesion to ECM proteins and IRM expression concur. Finally, TSH-stimulated adhesion of thyroid tumor cell lines to ECM may not be associated with altered IRM expression.