title: Evaluation of c-kit expression in classic Kaposi's sarcoma in a cohort of Egyptian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative disorder associated with human herpesvirus 8 infection. Classic KS is the most prevalent type of KS in countries of the Mediterranean basin including Egypt. Several in vitro studies have detected c-kit expression in AIDS related-KS however, only a few studies addressed this issue in the classic type with no data on the ethnicity of studied cases. The prospect of installing targeted anti- c-kit treatment to KS patients presents a promising avenue in KS therapeutics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the expression of c-kit in classic KS cases and study possible relations with expression of HHV8 latency-associated nuclear antigen-1 (LANA-1) and other clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty four cases of classic KS of the plaque and nodular stages in the lower limb were studied. Immunohistochemical detection of HHV8-LANA-1 and c-kit was carried out on archival paraffin embedded tissue, possession of the Pathology and Dermatology Departments, Alexandria School Of Medicine, Egypt. Statistical analysis of possible relations between both antigens and clinicopathological parameters (patient's age and gender and histological stage) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HHV8 expression was detected in 100% of cases while c-kit immunoreactivity was found in 54.2% of cases. There was no correlation between c-kit and HHV8 immunoreactivity or any of the studied clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of c-kit expression in classic KS in an ethnically homogeneous cohort of Arabs of the Mediterranean region. We detected c-kit expression in about half the cases with no relationship to HHV8 LANA expression or clinicopathological parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Khartoum Square, El Azarita, Alexandria, Egypt. tarekmhaa1969@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tarek M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Bassma M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: El-Sabaa
authors.forename: Nesrine F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Hanafy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D018912:Arabs; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit