Cyclins D1, D3, E, and A in vulvar carcinoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
The treatment of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma patients is often mutilating. Effort is being made to individualize treatment in order to reduce negative side effects for patients with good prognosis. Molecular markers have been able to predict patient outcome in several tumors. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of cyclins D1, D3, E, and A in a comparatively large series of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and look for prognostic impact.


METHODS
A total of 224 vulvar squamous cell carcinomas were immunohistochemically investigated for expression of cyclins D1, D3, E, and A using the biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase method and the OptiMax Plus automated cell staining system.


RESULTS
High protein levels of cyclin D1 (any positive nuclei) were found in 58 (26%) cases, cyclin D3 (> or =50% positive nuclei) in 61 (27%) cases, cyclin E (> or =50% positive nuclei) in 41 (18%) cases, and cyclin A (> or =5% positive nuclei) in 156 (70%) cases. No prognostic impact was found for the cyclins D1, D3, E, or A.


CONCLUSIONS
The high number of cases showing increased levels of cyclin A suggests that this protein may be important in the pathogenesis of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. No prognostic impact was found for the cyclins D1, D3, E, or A.
Knopp
Synne
S
Department of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway. synne.knopp@klinmed.uio.no
Bjørge
Tone
T
Nesland
Jahn M
JM
Tropé
Claes
C
Holm
Ruth
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D056743:Cyclin D3; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016213:Cyclins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C534696:CCND3 protein, human; D019925:Cyclin A; D056743:Cyclin D3; D019927:Cyclin E; D016213:Cyclins; D019938:Cyclin D1