Possible involvement of stem cell factor and endothelin-1 in the emergence of pigmented squamous cell carcinoma in oral mucosa.
We present here the clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of a pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the oral mucosa of the hard palate of a 76-year-old Japanese man. He underwent a partial resection of the maxilla subsequent to radiotherapy. The tumor was typical, moderately well-differentiated SCC but had many melanocytes (melanocytosis) within it. Immunohistochemical analysis for stem cell factor (SCF) and endothelin-1, both of which are known to stimulate proliferation and differentiation of melanocytes, revealed prominent expression of both factors in the neoplastic squamous cells of the pigmented SCC, while the non-pigmented oral SCC showed little sign of either factor. These findings strongly suggest that SCF and endothelin-1 secreted by neoplasmic squamous cells are involved in the emergence of a rare variant of oral SCC.
Satomura
Kazuhito
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School of Medicine, Tokushima, Japan. satomura@dent.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Tokuyama
Reiko
R
Yamasaki
Yasuhumi
Y
Yuasa
Tetsuya
T
Tatehara
Seiko
S
Ishimaru
Naozumi
N
Hayashi
Yoshio
Y
Nagayama
Masaru
M
D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008548:Melanosis / Q000150:complications; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000032:analysis*
D019332:Endothelin-1; D019089:Stem Cell Factor