title: ACE and ACE2 expression in normal and malignant skin lesions.
abstract: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is known mainly as a regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis. However, it has also been shown to mediate processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and carcinogenesis. Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) - including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) - are among the most common cancers. The aim of the present study was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and Ki-67 antigen in archival samples of normal skin, actinic keratosis, and malignant skin lesions. Cytoplasmic-nuclear ACE immunoreactivity was observed in 99% of examined cases of both normal skin and cancers. Significantly higher ACE immunoreactivity occurred in normal skin, as compared with BCC and SCC (p < 0.01, p < 0.0001, respectively). Additionally, ACE immunoreactivity was also significantly higher in BCC, compared with SCC (p < 0.05). ACE2 immunoreactivity was noted in basal epidermal layers and in sebaceous gland cells in normal skin, though not in NMSC. These novel observations suggest that ACE and skin RAS may be involved in the pathogenesis of malignant skin lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University in Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland. jedrzej.grzegrzolka@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jedrzej
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grzegrzolka
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swiatko
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pula
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamirska
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olbromski
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bieniek
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szepietowski
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rys
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dziegiel
authors.forename: Marzenna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podhorska-Okolow
mesh_terms: D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; C000705307:ACE2 protein, human; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2