Mycosis fungoides: expression of C-myc p62 p53, bcl-2 and PCNA proteins and absence of association with Epstein-Barr virus.
The expression of C-myc p62, bcl-2, p53, PCNA and EBV-encoded LMP-1 proteins was studied by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded skin specimens from 14 patients with early stage (premycotic erythema and second stage plaques) mycosis fungoides (MF), 21 patients with advanced stage MF (third stage plaques and tumors), 3 patients with Sezary's syndrome (SS) and 3 patients with pleomorphic medium and large cell cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (PML-CTCL). All 41 cases were also screened for the presence of EBV by using RNA in situ hybridization with EBER 1/2 oligonucleotides. Increased expression of C-myc p62, p53 and PCNA proteins was found in PML-CTCL and advanced stages of MF as compared to early stages of MF. These results suggest a relationship between levels of C-myc p62, p53 and PCNA proteins and aggressiveness of the cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Furthermore, C-myc p62 and bcl-2 proteins were found to be frequently coexpressed in the present series. In view of the background information from in vitro findings and animal models that cooperation of C-myc and bcl-2 is important for lymphomagenesis, our results suggest that coexpression of these oncogenes may be implicated in the pathogenesis and/or the progression of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Neither LMP-1 expression nor EBV EBER l/2 transcripts were detected in our series suggesting that EBV is not involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
Department of Pathology, University of Crete, Greece.
P
P
Kanavaros
D
D
Ioannidou
M
M
Tzardi
G
G
Datseris
J
J
Katsantonis
G
G
Delidis
A
A
Tosca
D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53