Heat shock protein 27 is expressed in normal and malignant human melanocytes in vivo.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of highly conserved proteins found ubiquitously in mammalian cells, believed to be regulators of normal cell physiology and the cellular stress response. In addition, the small 27-kDa heat shock protein (HSP27) has previously been found to be a differentiation marker for keratinocytes and a prognostic marker associated with increased survival in certain cancerous tumors.

METHODS:

Using immunohistochemistry on routinely processed paraffin sections, we examined skin biopsies from 15 invasive melanomas, 13 intradermal nevi, and two compound nevi immunostained with a mouse monoclonal antibody to HSP27. In addition, cultured melanocytes were heat stressed at 45 degrees C for 1 h and then fixed and immunostained in order to localize HSP27 expression intracellularly.

RESULTS:

We found cytoplasmic and strong perinuclear staining of HSP27 in melanocytes in normal skin, in melanomas, and in nevi. Nuclear reactivity was absent. In addition, in cultured non-malignant melanocytes, HSP27 expression relocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus with heat stress.

CONCLUSIONS:

To our knowledge, this investigation is the first to demonstrate that HSP27 is expressed in melanocytes in normal skin, in nevi, and in non-malignant cultured melanocytes.

• Authors: Steven H Kang, Maxwell A Fung, Regina Gandour-Edwards, Debra Reilly, Teresa Dizon, Jennifer Grahn, R Rivkah Isseroff
• Journal: Journal of cutaneous pathology (J Cutan Pathol) Vol. 31 Issue 10 Pg. 665-71 (Nov 2004) ISSN: 0303-6987 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15491326 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins
• HSPB1 protein, human
• Heat-Shock Proteins
• Molecular Chaperones
• Neoplasm Proteins

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Female
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
• HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins
• Heat-Shock Proteins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Male
• Melanocytes (metabolism, pathology)
• Melanoma (metabolism, pathology)
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Chaperones
• Neoplasm Proteins (metabolism)
• Nevus, Intradermal (metabolism, pathology)
• Skin Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured