title: Loss of bullous pemphigoid antigen in peritumoral lacunas of basal cell carcinomas.
abstract: Peritumoral lacunas of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were for a long time misinterpreted as fixation artifacts. However, recent studies showed that they might be considered as a dynamic process related to degenerescence for the palisade cells. We studied three antigens of the epidermal basement membrane zone--type IV collagen, laminin, and bullous pemphigoid antigen--by indirect immunofluorescence in six cases of basal cell carcinoma. We could observe that type IV collagen as well as laminin were expressed as a linear continuous staining pattern surrounding each of the BCC buds. When there was a peritumoral lacuna, only the stroma side of the lacuna was stained. Bullous pemphigoid antigen showed either a linear continuous or discontinuous staining pattern along the basement membrane zone of the carcinomatous buds. At the site of a peritumoral lacuna bullous pemphigoid antigen abruptly disappeared. The loss of bullous pemphigoid antigen might be related to the lacuna formation.
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000276:immunology; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000276:immunology*; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D007797:Laminin; D003094:Collagen