EXPRESSION OF STEM CELL IN BASAL CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract

Background: Emerging evidence is implicating stem cells in the pathogenesis of different cutaneous neoplasms. The immunohistochemical use of stem cell markers has facilitated stem cell identification.
Aim: This study was designed to determine the expression of stem cell markers ck19 and p63 in BCC and their link to proliferation marker ki67.
Subjects: Thirty patients with BCC were the subjects of this study. They were classified according to the hitopathological types into 12 patients solid circumscribed type, 3 patients solid infiltrative type, 8 patients mixed type, 3 patients superficial type, 2 patients adenoid type, one patient morpheaform type and one patient basosquamous type.
Methods: The thirty paraffin-embedded BCC skin lesions were examined histopathologically to confirm the diagnosis and to determine histological type of the tumour and also, were examined immunohistchemically for CK19, p63 and Ki-67.
Results: Cytokeratin 19 immunoreactivity was observed in 30% (9 of 30) of BCC cases while P63 immunoreactivity was observed in 70% (21 of 30) of BCC cases and Ki67 immunoreactivity was observed in 70% (21 of 30) of BCC cases. Significant correlation between p63 and ck19 expression in BCC does actually exist (P 0.006) and also strong correlation between expression of p63 and ki76 in BCC exist (P 0.006) while insignificant correlation between ck19 and ki67 expression in BCC was found (P .45).
Conclusion: Our study described the expression profiles of stem cell markers CK19 and p63 and also proliferation marker ki67 in BCC. In addition to confirming results of the previous reports, our study also showed that stem cells and cancer stem cells are found in BCC and may be the origin of this tumour. In addition, Ck19 is a more specific marker for stem cells than p63 which can stain transient amplifying cells as stem cells.