beta-Catenin expression in the transitional cell zone of pilomatricoma.
BACKGROUND
beta-Catenin, a participant in the Wnt pathway, has been shown to play an important role in the morphogenesis of hair follicles and the formation of hair follicle-related tumours, including pilomatricomas. It has been observed that at least 75% of human pilomatricomas possess activating mutations in beta-catenin. These findings suggested that beta-catenin plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of pilomatricomas. However, the pattern of beta-catenin expression in pilomatricoma tissues is still unclear. Objectives To examine the expression of beta-catenin in human pilomatricomas by immunohistochemical staining.


METHODS
Twenty-six formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of pilomatricoma tissue were studied.


RESULTS
Most transitional cells of pilomatricoma expressed beta-catenin strongly, but the basophilic cells and shadow cells did not. beta-Catenin showed a prominent membranous immunoreactivity and a small amount of condensed cytoplasmic staining, but there was definitely no evidence of nuclear positivity.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings imply that beta-catenin is primarily involved in cell-cell adhesion rather than cellular proliferation during pilomatricoma pathogenesis, and suggest that if beta-catenin is involved in pilomatricoma tumorigenesis and tumour growth, it plays an indirect role.
Park
S W
SW
Department of Dermatology, Pusan Paik Foundation Hospital, Inje University Medical College, 633-165 Kaekum-Dong, Pusanjin-Ku, Pusan 614-735, Korea. alopark@hanmir.com
Suh
K S
KS
Wang
H Y
HY
Kim
S T
ST
Sung
H S
HS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018296:Pilomatrixoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin