title: Expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor in conventional cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with different histological grades of differentiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is a key regulator of cell transformation and controls the expression of genes that governs cell cycling and cell survival. The aim of this pilot study was to gain insight into the expression pattern of IGF-1R in conventional cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) using immunohistochemical analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cases of normal human paraffin-embedded skin sections, 4 cases of actinic keratosis, and 28 cases of paraffin-embedded sections of different histological subtypes of CSCC were selected for immunohistochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal skin, IGF-1R expression was detected in the epidermal basal cell layer. In actinic keratosis, IGF-1R was expressed in the lower part of the epidermis. IGF-1R was detected in the cell surface membrane of well-differentiated CSCC. In moderately differentiated CSCC, IGF-1R was expressed predominantly in the cytoplasm. Interestingly, IGF-1R was expressed in the nuclei of tumor cells of poorly differentiated CSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strong and differential expression of IGF-1R in different histological degrees of CSCC indicates a possible role for IGF-insulin receptor in the carcinogenesis and differentiation of this disease and identifies IGF-1R as an interesting target for prevention and treatment of CSCC that deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea; and †Department of Dermatology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Shin-Taek
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Young-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Eun
authors.forename: Dong-Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae-Yoon
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Baik-Kee
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reichrath
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1