title: Immunohistochemical expression of ezrin in cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: Ezrin is a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin family of proteins, which link the actin-containing cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of ezrin protein is correlated with the metastatic potential in several cancers. Little is known about the distribution of ezrin in normal epidermis and nonmelanoma skin cancer; therefore, in the current study, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of ezrin in normal skin (10 biopsies) and epithelial skin tumors (25 basal cell carcinoma [BCC] and 20 squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]). Ezrin was expressed in epidermis of all normal controls with a prominent membranous pattern compared with 93.3% positivity in malignant cases with a significant higher intensity (assessed by H score) in favor of the latter (P = .002). Cytoplasmic expression of ezrin either alone or associated with membranous expression was both seen in BCC and SCC. The median value of H score in SCC (160) cases was higher than that in BCC (60). H score values of ezrin expression in BCC was significantly higher in tumors arising in sites other than the head and neck (P = .04). In SCC, the intensity of ezrin expression tended to be associated with advanced stage (P = .08). Our study demonstrated the probable tumorigenic role of ezrin in epithelial skin tumor formation. It may enhance local invasion or metastasis of epithelial skin tumors, which necessitates further larger study to clarify. The intensity rather than the pattern of ezrin expression had a more probable impact on the tumor behavior.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menofiya university, Shebein Elkom, 32511 Egypt. asmaa_elsaidy@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Asmaa Gaber
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Abdou
authors.forename: Alaa Hassan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Maraee
authors.forename: Eman Mostafa Mohamed
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
authors.forename: Nada Farag
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Elnaidany
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000099149:Ezrin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D000099149:Ezrin