Association of TROP-2 expression with clinicopathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy, with increasing global incidence. Although most cases have favorable outcomes, some tumors exhibit aggressive clinicopathological features associated with recurrence and disease progression. Trophoblast cell surface antigen-2 (TROP-2), a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, has emerged as a potential biomarker in various malignancies. However, its clinicopathological significance in PTC remains unclear.
Objective: To evaluate the association between TROP-2 expression and clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted involving 30 histologically confirmed PTC cases from thyroidectomy specimens at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, collected between January 2022 and December 2024. TROP-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry using a semi-quantitative H-score. Associations between TROP-2 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests.
Results: Membranous TROP-2 expression was observed in all PTC cases. No significant association was observed between TROP-2 H-score and pT stage (ρ = −0.061, p = 0.750), nodal status (ρ = 0.050, p = 0.794), age (ρ = 0.256, p = 0.171), sex (p = 0.491), or multifocality (p = 0.769).
Conclusion: TROP-2 was consistently expressed in papillary thyroid carcinoma; however, its expression level was not associated with clinicopathological features related to tumor aggressiveness. These findings suggest that TROP-2 may represent a molecular feature of PTC rather than an independent indicator of aggressive tumor behavior. Further studies incorporating molecular profiling and long-term clinical outcomes are required to clarify its prognostic significance.