Objective     To evaluate the expression of G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30)

estrogen receptor α (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) in thyroid carcinoma (TC) tissues

and to study their association with thyroid carcinoma.      Methods     Immunohistochemistry (S-P) assay was used to detect the expression of GPR30

ERα and PR in the paraffin-embedded TC tissue specimens from 101 patients (age at 45.9

9-93 years). The specimens were collected in our hospital from 2006 to 2009 and included 83 cases of papillary adenocarcinoma

9 cases of follicular adenocarcinoma

6 cases of medullary carcinoma and 3 cases of undifferentiated carcinoma. The association of GPR30

ERα and PR expression with TC clinicopathologic features and the correlation among them were analyzed.      Results     GPR30

ERα and PR were expressed mainly in cytoplasm and rarely in cell nuclei

with positive expression rates of 78.2%

85.1% and 79.2%

respectively. Their expression displayed no significant association with clinicopathological determinants (age

sex

tumor size

lymph node metastasis

pathologic subtype and TNM stage) and MACIS prognostic score (P0.05)

except that ERα had a higher positive expression rate in patients aged 45 years and older than in patients aged less than 45 years old (r=-0.2383

P0.05). GPR30 expression was positively correlated with ERα expression (r=0.2518) and PR expression (r=0.3207).      Conclusion     As estrogen receptors

GPR30 and ERα both contribute to the development of TC and

therefore

may be potential therapy targets.