title: Increased expression of enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) differentiates squamous cell carcinoma from normal skin and actinic keratosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is a polycomb group protein that has been shown to be involved in the progression of multiple human cancers including melanoma. The expression of EZH2 in normal skin and in pre-malignant and malignant cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the expression of EZH2 in normal skin, actinic keratosis (AK), SCC in situ, well-differentiated (SCC-WD), moderately-differentiated (SCC-MD) and poorly-differentiated SCC (SCC-PD) to ascertain whether EZH2 expression differentiates these conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining for EZH2 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies and a tissue microarray containing normal skin, AK, SCC in situ, and SCC of different grades.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison to the normal skin, EZH2 expression in actinic keratosis was increased (p=0.03). Similarly, EZH2 expression in all of the neoplastic conditions studied (SCC in situ, SCC-WD, SCC-MD and SCC-PD) was greatly increased in comparison to both the normal skin and actinic keratosis (p≤0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EZH2 expression increases incrementally from normal skin to AK and further to SCC, suggesting a role for EZH2 in the progression and differentiation of SCC. EZH2 expression may be used as a diagnostic marker for differentiating SCC from AK or normal skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: Hongbei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Heilman
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Haseeb
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: Raavi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D000071221:Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein; D006801:Humans; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C498409:EZH2 protein, human; D000071221:Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
keywords: EZH2; actinic keratosis; skin; squamous cell carcinoma