Expression of alpha-crystallins in human sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Crystallins are molecular chaperones that protect various cells from apoptosis. This study used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of alphaA-crystallin and alphaB-crystallin in human sebaceous carcinoma tissues.

METHODS:

Nine patients with sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid underwent excision of the eyelid or orbital exenteration. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were submitted for hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry with anti-alphaA- and alphaB-crystallin antibodies.

RESULTS:

In the noncancerous eyelid, crystallins were weakly and homogeneously expressed in the Meibomian gland lobules. In eyelids with sebaceous carcinoma, alphaA-crystallin and alphaB-crystallin were highly expressed in 4 cases, where the cytoplasmic immunoreactivity was heterogeneously detected in the tumor cells. Three and 2 cases were shown to express low levels of alphaA-crystallin and alphaB-crystallin, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was observed between expression levels of alphaA-crystallin and alphaB-crystallin in sebaceous carcinomas (p=0.012). All sebaceous carcinoma tissues contained mitotic tumor cells, which showed predominantly perinuclear immunoreactivity of alphaB-crystallin. The mitotic rate of tumor cells was 5.85+/-1.76 and 10.72+/-1.64 in high and moderate/low alphaB-crystallin-expressing cases, respectively. The number of mitotic cells was significantly higher in moderate/low alphaB-crystallin-positive than in high-positive cases (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

Crystallins are expressed in human sebaceous carcinomas including mitotic cells. Expression of alphaB-crystallin correlated with low number of mitotic tumor cells, suggesting that alphaB-crystallin may play a potential role in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation.

• Authors: Panayota K Rigas, Satoru Kase, Narsing A Rao
• Journal: European journal of ophthalmology (Eur J Ophthalmol) 2009 Sep-Oct Vol. 19 Issue 5 Pg. 702-7 ISSN: 1120-6721 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19787585 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• alpha-Crystallin A Chain
• alpha-Crystallin B Chain

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma, Sebaceous (metabolism, pathology)
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Eyelid Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Female
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• alpha-Crystallin A Chain (metabolism)
• alpha-Crystallin B Chain (metabolism)