title: Expression patterns of programmed cell death 4 protein in normal human skin and some representative skin lesions.
abstract: Expression of a tumor suppressor gene, programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), was investigated at the protein level in the human skin. Immunohistochemically, PDCD4 protein expressed mainly in suprabasal layers, while PDCD4-positive and -negative areas were observed discontinuously in the basal cell layer of the epidermis. In hair follicles, the suprabulbar area including the hair and inner root sheath was immunoreactive, while the bulbar area, containing germinative cells which were strongly proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive, was not or less. PDCD4 therefore appears to be important in the differentiation of hair follicles. PDCD4-positive cells were localized in the inside layers while PCNA-positive cells were located in the basal layer in the outer root sheath of hair follicles. The cells of sebaceous glands and sweat glands also were PDCD4-positive. The PDCD4 protein was localized mostly in nuclei of cutaneous cells. PDCD4 expression was found to be suppressed in the epidermis overlying an adult T-cell lymphoma (ATL), possibly reflecting a paracrine effect of factors produced by ATL cells. PDCD4 expression was suppressed in the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT by exposure of cultures to epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta1 or hepatocyte growth factor. Immunohistochemically, various skin cancers tended to show less PDCD4 expression than normal skin. Promotion of expression might prove useful in preventing or treating certain skin cancers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga University, Saga, Japan. matsuha2@med.saga-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuhashi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Narisawa
authors.forename: Iwata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuta
mesh_terms: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013545:Sweat Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C114487:PDCD4 protein, human; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins