Galectin-3 and CD1a-positive dendritic cells are involved in the development of an invasive phenotype in vulvar squamous lesions.
In this study, the expression patterns of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and the frequency of infiltrating CD1a positive dendritic cells (DCs) were determined in 82 cases of vulvar tissues, consisting of normal squamous epithelia (NE, N = 10), vulvar condylomas (VC, N = 24), high grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasias (HG-VIN, N = 26) of common type, and invasive keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas (SCC, N = 22) by a standard immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies to investigate their differential expression in vulvar squamous dysplasia and infiltrating carcinomas with an emphasis on neoplastic transformation and progression. Gal-3 expression was cytoplasmic, nuclear or membranous in NE, VCs, and HG-VINs, with negative or weak and occasionally moderate reactivities. In SCCs, exclusively cytoplasmic staining patterns with moderate or strong reactivity in 59% of cases were observed (p < 0.0001, chi-square test); Gal-3 expression was not related with stage, grade, and recurrence. The frequency of CD1a positive DCs increased from NE and VCs to highest numbers in HG-VINs, was lowest in SCCs (p < 0.0001, ANOVA), and was not related with stage and grade, but with recurrence in SCCs (p = 0,048, t-test). This study indicates that qualitative and quantitative changes of Gal-3 immunoexpression and infiltration by CD1a positive DCs in vulvar NE, VCs, and HG-VIN lesions, respectively, compared with SCCs play a role in the development of an infiltrative phenotype, and may provide adjunctive criteria in the diagnosis of invasion of vulvar squamous epithelia.
Brustmann
Hermann
H
Department of Pathology, Thermenklinikum, Moedling/Vienna, Austria. ddrbrustmann@hotmail.com
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D014844:Vulva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D018949:Antigens, CD1; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C419393:CD1a antigen; D037502:Galectin 3; D007633:Keratins