Expression of cadherin/catenin cell--cell adhesion molecules in a onychomatricoma.
Onychomatricoma is a rare nail tumor with a distinctive architecture. Proximally, there are serum-filled invaginations of nail matrix epithelium into the stroma, and distally, dermal protrusions perforate the nail plate. Because other matrical tumors of follicular and odontogenic origin express nuclear beta-catenin, we examined the expression of cadherin/catenin proteins in this onychomatricoma case. The patient presented with a toenail yellow streak, and the biopsy revealed an onychomatricoma. E-cadherin and beta-catenin were at the cell membrane in the epithelial invaginations. P-cadherin was restricted to basal cells. In contrast to other matrical tumors, nuclear beta-catenin was not present. These results suggest that onychomatricoma may lack the transcriptional activating role of beta-catenin that characterizes follicular and odontogenic matrical tumors. This is the first report on the expression of cadherin/ catenin cell-cell adhesion proteins in this rare nail tumor.
Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
James L
JL
Burchette
Tram T
TT
Pham
Steven P
SP
Higgins
Jonathan L
JL
Cook
Alejandro Peralta
AP
Soler
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D009262:Nails / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D051176:beta Catenin