title: Silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions and immunoglobulins in cutaneous squamocellular tumors.
abstract: This study was conducted to elucidate the biological activity of epidermal cells in cutaneous squamocellular tumors by counting the number of silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), to estimate the quantity of Ig-producing cells and the inflammatory cellular infiltrate (ICI), and to achieve a comparative evaluation. Twenty cases of actinic keratosis (AK), 20 in situ squamous cell carcinomas (ISC), and 20 invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were assessed using a silver colloid technique. Ig-producing or binding cells and ICI were also investigated immunohistochemically. In all samples, AgNORs, Ig-producing cells, and ICI increased in proportion to the degree of malignancy. With regard to AgNORs values, a statistically significant difference was confirmed between AK and ISC (p<0.01), AK and SCC (p<0.001), and ISC and SCC (p<0.05). IgG-producing cells predominated in each case. Furthermore, a linear correlation was detected between ICI and AgNORs in AK and ISC. The significant difference in the number of AgNORs among the 3 stages of involution of SCC reinforces the value of AgNORs as a marker for malignant potential. Despite the absence of a correlation between AgNORs and the proportion of Ig-producing cells, the association between ICI and AgNORs in AK and ISC was obvious.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatopathology, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, GR-11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Kiriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aroni
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mastoraki
authors.forename: Evridiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kyriazi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liossi
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
mesh_terms: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007642:Keratosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C051963:nucleolar organizer region associated proteins