title: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression is associated with decreased GATA-3 immunohistochemical staining.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The GATA family of transcription factors is an essential regulator of cellular proliferation and differentiation. In the skin, GATA-3 is critical for epidermal stratification and maintenance of barrier function. A role for GATA-3 in the development of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is not known. Here, we investigated GATA-3 immunohistochemical staining in premalignant and invasive cutaneous SCC from sun-exposed and sun-protected skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  GATA-3 immunohistochemistry was performed on actinic keratoses (AK) (n = 19), in situ squamous cell carcinomas with actinic [SCCIS (A)] (n = 9) or bowenoid features [SCCIS (B)] (n = 17), well-, moderately and poorly differentiated SCC (n = 36), Bowenoid papulosis of the perineum (n = 15) and penile SCC (pSCC) (n = 10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that GATA-3 immunohistochemical staining is progressively lost in sun-exposed skin as neoplasia progresses from pre-cancerous AK to SCCIS (A), and ultimately, to SCC, which shows near absent GATA-3 staining. This reduction in GATA-3 staining is independent of histological grade in SCC. Only slight down-regulation of GATA-3 was seen in all cases of SCCIS (B) and Bowenoid papulosis, while near absent GATA-3 expression was seen in pSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that decreased GATA-3 immunohistochemical staining is associated with cutaneous SCC progression on both sun-exposed and sun-protected sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Jason F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Solus
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Sena J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Andy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.|Internal Medicine Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Ilana S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Rosman
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Shadmehr
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dehmeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.|Internal Medicine Division of Dermatology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaffer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494749:GATA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: GATA-3; actinic keratosis; squamous cell carcinoma; squamous cell carcinoma in situ