title: Expression of DKK1 and β-catenin in epidermal neoplasms and their correlation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and β-catenin and their correlation in epidermal neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression of DKK1 and β-catenin in tissue samples of 19 cases of seborrheic keratosis (SK), 16 cases of actinic keratosis (AK), 24 cases of Bowen's disease (BD), 25 cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 22 cases of normal epidermal tissue (NET).
  
  
  RESULTS
  DKK1 was expressed in cytoplasm in normal epidermis. The positive expression rates of DKK1 in SK, AK, BD and SCC were 63.16%, 50.00%, 12.50% and 8.00%, respectively. β-catenin was expressed in cell membrane in normal epidermis. The abnormal expression rates of β-catenin in SK, AK, BD and SCC were 15.79%, 56.25%, 91.67% and 96.00%, respectively. Additionally, significant negative correlation was observable between the expression of β-catenin and DKK1 (r=-0.692, P=0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Wnt signaling pathway may play an important role in the process of epidermal neoplasms formation. The loss of DKK1 promotes the abnormal expression of β-catenin through Wnt signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chongqing Third People's Hospital Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoji
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Dongyu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chongqing Third People's Hospital Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Weikang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: DKK1; Epidermis neoplasms; immunohistochemistry; β-catenin