c-Kit (CD117) expression in classic Kaposi's sarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Kaposi's sarcoma is a multicentric, low-grade, vascular neoplasia. Human herpesvirus 8 is associated with all epidemiological forms of KS and has been shown in vitro to induce the tyrosine receptor kinase c-Kit in infected cells.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of c-Kit in cases of classic KS and to clarify its association with clinicopathological parameters and HHV8 latency-associated nuclear antigen-1 expression.


METHODS
In total, 35 cases of classic KS at various histological stages were included in the study. Age and gender of the patients and location and histological stage of the tumours were recorded. Formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissue sections were stained by immunohistochemistry with antibodies to c-Kit and HHV8.


RESULTS
c-Kit immunoreactivity was found in 22 cases and HHV8 immunoreactivity was present in all cases. There was no correlation in c-Kit immunoreactivity between clinicopathological parameters and HHV8 immunoreactivity.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study show that in cases of classic KS there is a high rate of c-Kit immunoreactivity, but c-Kit expression does not show any correlation with HHV8 immunoreactivity.
Kandemir
N O
NO
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Zonguldak, Turkey. niluferkandemir@yahoo.com
Gun
B D
BD
Bahadir
B
B
Yurdakan
G
G
Ozdemir
N
N
Karadayi
N
N
Ozdamar
S O
SO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit