Basaloid in contrast to nonbasaloid head and neck squamous cell carcinomas display aberrations especially in cell cycle control genes.
BACKGROUND
At present, the differences between head and neck basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) and nonbasaloid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are mostly on the basis of histologic and immunohistologic findings.


METHODS
In this study, we investigated 8 BSCCs and 59 SCCs for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosomes 5q, 9p, 9q, 10q, 11q, 13p, 17p, and 18q. In addition, we analyzed p16, PTEN, and CCND1 (cyclin D1) and investigated the HPV status. Immunohistochemically, the expression of MIB-1, p16, p53, and cyclin D1 was determined.


RESULTS
Aberrations in the BSCCs were especially frequent at 9p and in the CCND1 gene. In contrast, alterations at 10q occurred almost exclusively in conventional SCCs. Obvious differences could be determined concerning the HPV status: HPV-DNA was detected in all BSCCs but only in 17% of conventional SCCs.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the number of investigated BSCCs is rather low and did not allow statistical conclusions, our results focus on certain differences between the molecular pathogenesis of BSCCs and SCCs.
Poetsch
Micaela
M
Institute of Forensic Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt-University, Kuhstrasse 30, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany. poetsch@mail.uni-greifswald.de
Lorenz
Gerd
G
Bankau
Alexander
A
Kleist
Britta
B
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018816:Genes, cdc / Q000502:physiology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D004279:DNA, Viral; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D019938:Cyclin D1; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human