title: Fatty acid synthase expression in Paget's disease of the vulva.
abstract: We explored the immunohistochemical expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in Paget's disease of the vulva (PDV) and its association with clinico-pathological features. FAS is a recently discovered molecule involved in energy supply of normal cells. FAS is also overexpressed in neoplastic tissues because of their increased necessity of energy. Specimens from 20 patients with PDV were immunohistochemically evaluated; increased FAS expression was observed in 7 of 8 patients with invasive PDV (87%), in 3 of 4 patients with microinvasive PDV (75%), and in 1 of 8 patients with noninvasive PDV (12%). Statistical analysis revealed that increased FAS expression was associated with invasive PDV (p = 0.04). To our knowledge, this association of FAS in PDV is the first to be reported in literature. These observations reveal that FAS is a reliable marker of aggressiveness in PDV. The knowledge of FAS statistical association in invasive PDV is an important finding that may stratify these patients in different prognostic groups and determine therapeutic approaches for patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology and Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. pieroluigi.alo@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Piero L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Alo
authors.forename: Gregorio M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sebastiani
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Visca
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Ugo D I
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Tondo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000201:enzymology; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010145:Paget Disease, Extramammary / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases