Serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen is a useful biologic marker in patients with inverted papillomas of the sinonasal tract.
BACKGROUND
Inverted papilloma (IP) is a frequent benign sinonasal tumor that is characterized histologically by squamous metaplasia, epithelial acanthosis, and hyperplasia of the nasal epithelium. Because of its high recurrence rate and malignant transformation potential, careful long-term follow up is necessary.


METHODS
The purpose of the current report was to study the expression of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in sinonasal IPs and to evaluate the usefulness of SCC antigen as a biologic marker for the follow-up of patients with sinonasal IP. The expression of SCCA1 in three sinonasal IP cases, three sinonasal SCC cases, and cases of normal nasal epithelium were examined by Western blot analysis, and the SCCA1 expression pattern in 31 IP specimens and 4 carcinoma in IP specimens were evaluated immunohistochemically. The serum levels of SCC antigen in 11 patients with sinonasal IP also were analyzed.


RESULTS
SCCA1 was overexpressed in all three sinonasal IP tissues compared with sinonasal SCC tissues or normal nasal epithelium. SCCA1 cytoplasmic immunoreactivity was detected in the suprabasal epidermal keratinocytes of all 31 sinonasal IP cases. In the four carcinoma in IP specimens, SCCA1 expression in the papillomatous lesion was more intense than in the cancerous lesion. The serum SCC antigen level was high in 10 of 11 patients with IP (91%) and significantly decreased after surgical resection of the tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the current study indicate that SCCA1 frequently is overexpressed and may play a biologic role in the development of sinonasal IPs. Serum SCC antigen may be a useful biologic marker in patients with sinonasal IP.
Yasumatsu
Ryuji
R
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nakashima
Torahiko
T
Kuratomi
Yuichiro
Y
Hirakawa
Naoya
N
Azuma
Kaoru
K
Tomita
Kichinobu
K
Cataltepe
Sule
S
Silverman
Gary A
GA
Clayman
Gary L
GL
Komiyama
Sohtaro
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018308:Papilloma, Inverted / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015843:Serpins
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen