Immunocytochemical localisation of tumor necrosis factor alpha in thyroid tissues from patients with neoplastic or autoimmune thyroid disorders.

It is disputed to what extent tumor necrosis factor-alpha is present in the thyroid follicular epithelial cells and/or in the interstitial cells in different disorders of the thyroid gland. We describe the immunohistochemical detection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha using formaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded tissue and a polyclonal anti-serum with high tumor necrosis factor-alpha neutralising activity. We examined the distribution of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in interstitial cells and follicular epithelial cells in thyroid carcinomas, adenomas, non-toxic multinodular goiters and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha was demonstrated in thyroid follicular epithelial cells, most frequently in non-toxic multinodular goiters (six of seven patients) and less frequently in adenomas (three of nine patients), papillary carcinomas (two of five patients), follicular carcinomas (one of five patients), Hashimoto's disease (one of six patients) and Grave's disease (one of seven patients). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha producing interstitial cells were found in two thirds of patients with all six thyroid diseases.