CTSB and thyroid gland papillary carcinoma: Human tissue obtained from patients affected by follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) or papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was analyzed in order to determine the general tissue architecture and the localization of endogenous cathepsin B. Haematoxylin and eosin-stained PTC tissue displayed normal thyroid histomorphology with variably sized follicles and colloid-containing lumina that were enclosed by a monolayer of epithelial cells (Figure 2A, follicle lumina denoted with asterisks).