Expression of metallothionein I/II and Ki-67 antigen in various histological types of basal cell carcinoma.

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent skin cancer, with many different histological subtypes. Recent studies have investigated the expression of proliferative markers, but little is known about the expression of metallothioneins (MT) in different histological subtypes of this cancer and their impact on proliferation intensity in BCC. In this study, we examined MT-I/II expression by immunohistochemistry in 58 different histological subtypes of BCC (38 nodular, six adenoid, eight infiltrative, and six metatypic cases) and correlated its expression with tumor size and Ki-67 proliferation rate. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the expression of studied markers in regard to the histological subtype. A positive correlation between MT and Ki-67 expression was observed for all the studied cases (r = 0.26; p = 0.049), but was even stronger in the metatypic subtype of BCC (r = 0.85; p = 0.033). MT and Ki-67 expression did not correlate with tumor size. In conclusion, it seems that metallothioneins may have an impact on the proliferation rate of BCC,but further studies are required to determine whether MT may be a risk factor of recurrences.

• Authors: Andrzej Bieniek, Bartosz Pula, Aleksandra Piotrowska, Marzena Podhorska-Okolow, Anna Salwa, Maria Koziol, Piotr Dziegiel
• Journal: Folia histochemica et cytobiologica (Folia Histochem Cytobiol) Vol. 50 Issue 3 Pg. 352-7 (Oct 08 2012) ISSN: 1897-5631 [Electronic] Poland
• PMID: 23042264 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Ki-67 Antigen
• Metallothionein

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Carcinoma, Basal Cell (metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Nucleus (metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Ki-67 Antigen (metabolism)
• Metallothionein (metabolism)
• Middle Aged
• Skin Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Young Adult