title: The Bcl-xL inhibitor of apoptosis is preferentially expressed in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma compared with that in keratoacanthoma.
abstract: Keratoacanthoma (KA) is difficult to histologically distinguish from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Therefore, although KA is a benign self-resolving skin lesion, KA is commonly treated as SCC. Biomarkers to distinguish KA and SCC would thus be desirable. In search for specific markers, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 25 SCC and 64 KA were arranged in a tissue microarray (TMA) and stained for immunologic cell-markers CD3, CD20 and CD68 as well as for proteins considered of relevance in tumorgenesis, namely NF kappaB/p65, I kappaB-alpha, STAT3, p53, TRAP-1, pRB, phosphorylated pRb, Cyld, p21, p16(INK4), Survivin, Bcl-xL, Caspase 3, Bak, FLK-1/VEGF-r2 and Ki-67. In addition, the tumors were tested for presence of human papillomavirus by PCR. We detected that the two lesions differed significantly in expression of Bcl-xL which was present in 84% of the SCC compared with only 15% in the KA (p < 0.001). The lower expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL in KA is consistent with a possible role of apoptosis in the regression of KA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Medical Microbiology, Lund University, University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vasiljević
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Kaj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjelkenkrantz
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kjellström
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Månsson
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Landberg
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dillner
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Forslund
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007636:Keratoacanthoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051020:bcl-X Protein