Immunohistochemical study on the location of C cells

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Original Article

Author Details : Kafeel Hussain, Swayam Jothi

Volume : 4, Issue : 4, Year : 2017

Article Page : 521-523

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Abstract

Introduction: C cells have been predominantly documented to be parafollicular in position in the thyroid. However, C cells have also been reported to occur in the interfollicular space, but this has also been attributed to misinterpretation of tangential sections.
Aim: To study the location of C cells in normal and pathological conditions of the thyroid.
Materials and Method: Immunohistochemical study using calcitonin rabbit polyclonal antibody was performed in a total of 191 thyroid specimens (38 normal, 44 multinodular goiter, 31colloid goiter, 42 papillary carcinoma(Ca.) thyroid and 36 Hashimotos thyroiditis).
Observation: In all the normal and pathological conditions of the thyroid, which showed C cells but with no overt C cell hyperplasia(CCH), the C cells were found parafollicular in position. However, there were instances where C cells were also found well within the colloidal lumen, as in 2 cases of colloid goiter. C cells were predominantly parafollicular/ intrafollicular in all cases exhibiting CCH with the exception that interfollicular nodular C cell proliferations were observed in a case of papillary Ca. thyroid and a case of Multinodular goitre.
Conclusion: C cells always are in their native intra or parafollicular position in normal states and predominantly tend to remain so in hyperplastic states as well. However, in certain hyperplastic conditions, they can also form nodules that appear in the interfollicular space or interstitium. C cells can rarely also be found in the colloidal lumen. Such cells could possibly derive their origin from stem endodermal cells and thereby possess an inherent ability to traverse the basement membrane.

Keywords: Interfollicular, Parafollicular, CCH, Stem endodermal cells

How to cite : Hussain K, Jothi S, Immunohistochemical study on the location of C cells. Indian J Clin Anat Physiol 2017;4(4):521-523

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