title: Significance of androgen receptor and CD10 expression in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and trichoepithelioma.
abstract: Differential diagnosis of trichoepithelioma (TE) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the basis of clinical symptoms and laboratory investigations may be difficult in certain patients. The aim of the present study was to compare cluster of differentiation 10 (CD10) and androgen receptor (AR) expression patterns in BCC and TE, to investigate the predictive power of these proteins as markers of the two conditions. A total of 39 cases of BCC and 15 cases of TE were retrieved from the pathology department archives. AR and CD10 immunohistochemistry was performed on all of the specimens; 23 BCC cases displayed focal nuclear AR staining, however, none of the cases demonstrated diffuse nuclear staining and 16 BCC cases were negative for AR staining. Stromal CD10 staining was more common in TE cases than in BCC cases, and peripheral CD10 staining was more common in BCC cases than in TE cases. AR immunostaining of the BCC samples typically appeared as scattered clusters and individual cells. In addition, AR and CD10 staining exhibited varying staining intensities within each samples. Incisional punch biopsy specimens have the potential to present false-negative results. Therefore, AR and CD10 staining of total excision biopsies provides a more accurate differential diagnosis of BCC and TE for cases with difficulties in the histopathological analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu 14280, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hesna M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Astarci
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dr. N.K. Sincan State Hospital, Ankara 06930, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulfem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Giresun University, Giresun 28200, Turkey.
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sengul
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara 06340, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hucumenoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara 06340, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kocer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kafkas University, Kars 36100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ustun
keywords: CD10; androgen receptor; basal cell carcinoma; immunohistochemistry; trichoepithelioma