The value of Stanniocalcin1 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Its Correlation with Clinicopathological Parameters: An Immunohistochemical Study

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is considered the most prevalent type of thyroid malignancy, exhibiting diverse clinicopathological behaviors. Identifying reliable biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis remains a clinical challenge. Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) has been involved in various cancers, but its role in PTC is not fully established. This research aimed to evaluate the expression of STC1 in PTC in addition to its correlation with clinicopathological parameters, including tumor grade as well as stage. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded thyroid tissue samples that were categorized into 2 groups: Group A (PTC group) included 81 cases of PTC cases and, Group B (Control group) included 9 cases of normal thyroid tissue from the archives of Zagazig University. Immunohistochemical staining for STC1 was performed, and expression was assessed in relation to tumor grade, stage, and other clinicopathological features. Results: STC1 expression increased from low-grade to high-grade and malignant PTC (P < 0.001). Higher STC1 expression was significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage, grade, lymph node metastasis, as well as lymphovascular invasion (all P < 0.001). Diagnostic evaluation revealed that STC1 had a sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 92.6%, with accuracy of 92.2% in distinguishing PTC from normal tissue. Conclusions: STC1 is upregulated in higher-grade and advanced-stage PTC, supporting its role in tumor progression and carcinogenesis. Its high sensitivity and specificity suggest that STC1 could serve as a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker among papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.