Overexpression of phosphorylated-ATF2 and STAT3 in cutaneous angiosarcoma and pyogenic granuloma.
BACKGROUND
Activating transcription factor-2/Activator protein-1 (AP-1), Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 and p53 are important regulators of cellular proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation in the pathogenesis of many human tumors, but the expression of phosphorylated (p)-activating transcription factor-2 (p-ATF2), phosphorylated (p)-signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3) and p53 family (p63 and p73) has not been investigated in cutaneous angiosarcoma (CAS) and pyogenic granuloma (PG) so far.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of p-ATF2, p-STAT3 and p53 and its family in cutaneous vascular tumors (CAS and PG).


METHODS
Paraffin-embedded specimens of 14 CAS and 19 PG were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for p-ATF2, p-STAT3, p53, p63 and p73.


RESULTS
P-ATF2 was expressed in 13 out of 14 CAS and in all of 19 PG. P-STAT3 was expressed in all of 14 CAS and 19 PG. P53 was expressed in all of 14 CAS and 19 PG, while both p63 and p73 were negative in CAS and PG. The p-ATF2-, p-STAT3- and p53 expression (% positive cells) in CAS and PG were significantly higher than in normal dermal vessels, but none of these transcription factors distinguished malignant (CAS)- from benign (PG) vascular tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that overexpression of p-ATF2, p-STAT3 and possibly p53, but not p63 or p73, may contribute to the tumorigenesis of cutaneous vascular tumors.
Chen
Si-Yuan
SY
Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Takeuchi
Satoshi
S
Urabe
Kazunori
K
Hayashida
Sayaka
S
Kido
Makiko
M
Tomoeda
Hiroto
H
Uchi
Hiroshi
H
Dainichi
Teruki
T
Takahara
Masakazu
M
Shibata
Satoko
S
Tu
Ya-Ting
YT
Furue
Masutaka
M
Moroi
Yoichi
Y
D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017789:Granuloma, Pyogenic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010766:Phosphorylation; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
C497105:ATF2 protein, human; D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53