title: Nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of β-catenin in the nail-matrix cells and in an onychomatricoma.
abstract: β-catenin plays an important role in hair morphogenesis. Previously, the nuclear and cytoplasmic localizations of β-catenin were identified in hair-matrix cells. To evaluate β-catenin expression in the nail matrix, we obtained human nail units. Immunohistochemistry for β-catenin was used to evaluate sections of normal nail units and of sections from a single case of onychomatricoma. In the nail unit, β-catenin was expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the suprabasal nail-matrix cells. Of the other epithelial-cell types, only the cell membrane was β-catenin-positive. In the nail tissue from the onychomatricoma case, β-catenin was expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the upper epithelial layers. Our result suggests that β-catenin plays an important role in nail formation. In addition, β-catenin expression in onychomatricoma supports the presence of nail-matrix cells in this condition. To our knowledge, this is the first report of β-catenin expression in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the nail matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: C-R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H-T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: D-Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: K-T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009262:Nails / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051176:beta Catenin