title: Immunohistochemical alterations in basement membrane components of squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: To investigate alterations in the basement membrane (BM) in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we investigated 20 tumors. Four had the cytologic characteristics of Bowen's disease (SCC-BD) and 16 did not have them (SCC-NB). Tumors were studied immunohistochemically by double immunofluorescent staining by using mouse monoclonal antibodies to the core protein of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) and chondroitin 6-sulfate glycosaminoglycan (Ch6S) as well as rabbit antiserum to laminin (LN) and type IV collagen (C-4). In well-differentiated and highly keratinized SCC-NB, LN, C-4, and HSPG could be detected in the tumor nest BM and showed no loss of continuity, but they were largely lost in poorly differentiated and poorly keratinized SCC-NB. This suggests that poorly differentiated SCC-NB cause greater enzymatic degradation of BM components than well-differentiated SCC-NB. Ch6S was detected in parts of the BM of SCC-BD, but it was absent in all SCC-NB examined. It appears that SCC-NB have lost the ability to synthesize Ch6S, and that SCC-BD degrade Ch6S although they continue to produce it. Thus, it appears that in SCC the BM is qualitatively different from that of normal epidermis, and that SCC-BD can be distinguished from SCC-NB by the Ch6S content of the BM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oguro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isemura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D003094:Collagen; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007797:Laminin