Friday 27 April 2012

NEW WORK ON PODOPLANIN IN J. AM. AC. DERMATOLOGY

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 Apr 19. [Epub ahead of print]
D2-40 immunohistochemical overexpression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas: A marker of metastatic risk.
Source
Department of Dermatology, Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Approximately 4% of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) develop lymphatic metastases. The value of lymphatic endothelial markers to enhance the detection of lymphatic tumor invasion in cSCC has not been assessed previously.
OBJECTIVE:
We sought to evaluate the use of the antibody D2-40, a podoplanin immunohistochemical marker, to identify tumor lymph vessel invasion in cSCC and to assess its expression in tumor cells.
METHODS:
A skin carcinoma section
This was a retrospective case-control study. A series of 101 cSCC, including 51 cases that developed lymphatic metastatic spread (metastasizing cSCC [MSCC]) and 50 cases that resolved definitely after surgical excision (non-MSCC) were included in the study. Lymph vessel invasion using D2-40 was evaluated on all primary biopsy specimens. The percentage of tumor cells showing D2-40 positivity and intensity scoring were recorded. All the immunohistochemical findings were correlated with the clinicopathological features.
RESULTS:
Lymph vessel invasion was observed in 8% of non-MSCCs and in 25.5% of MSCCs (P = .031). D2-40 expression was significantly increased, both in intensity (odds ratio 4.42 for intensity ++/+++) and in area (odds ratio 2.29 for area >10%), in MSCC when compared with non-MSCC. Interestingly, almost half (49%) of the MSCC had moderate to intense D2-40 positivity compared with 16% of non-MSCC. D2-40 immunohistochemical expression was increased in tumors with an infiltrative pattern of extension. In the multivariate analysis, histologically poorly differentiated tumors, recurrent lesions, and cSCC showing D2-40 overexpression (in intensity) were significantly associated with lymphatic metastases development (odds ratios 15.67, 14.72, and 6.07, respectively).
LIMITATIONS:
This was a retrospective study.
CONCLUSION:
The expression of podoplanin associates with high metastatic risk in cSCC.
Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday 3 April 2012

3D KERATINOCYTE CULTURES


3D reconstruction of confocal microscopy analyses of an in vitro colony of human primary stratifying keratinocytes. Immunofluoro-staining for the cell cycle regulator Cyclin E (green) and the differentiation marker involucrin (red); nuclear DNA counter-stained by Dapi (blue). Note that Cyclin E accumulates as cells stratify (see also Zanet et al, 2010 and Freije et al, 2012). Labelling and video by María Hidalgo.