Immunohistochemical study of progesterone receptors in thyroid gland.

OBJECTIVE To determine the progesterone receptor status in thyroid gland. METHODS This study was based on immunohistochemical staining of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues, for progesterone receptors, in 50 previously diagnosed cases of various thyroid lesions and surrounding normal thyroid tissue. RESULTS Out of 50 cases, 8 were nodular goiter, 9 cases of adenoma, 19 papillary carcinoma, 10 follicular carcinoma and four cases were of medullary carcinoma. Surrounding normal tissue was available in 4 non-neoplastic and 21 neoplastic lesions. Overall male patients comprised 20% (10 cases) and females 80% (40 cases). Although a wide range of lesions in both the sexes including wide age range were available, none of our cases were positively stained for progesterone receptors. CONCLUSION In contrary to earlier reports by immunohistochemical method using monoclonal mouse anti-PR antibody clone PgR 636, on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded thyroid tissues, the progesterone receptors were not detectable in our human samples. The effect of progesterone on thyroid gland may be an indirect one.