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Expression of Hedgehog signalling molecules in microcystic adnexal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Gambichler T.,
Hartenstein I.,
Dreißigacker M.,
Stockfleth E.,
Stücker M.,
Schaller J.,
Schulze H.J.,
Becker J. C.,
Käfferlein H. U.,
Brüning T.,
Lang K.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/ced.14634
Subject(s) - patched , smoothened , hedgehog , vismodegib , hedgehog signaling pathway , ptch1 , basal cell carcinoma , sonic hedgehog , immunohistochemistry , biology , trichoepithelioma , pathology , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , signal transduction , basal cell
Summary Background Microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) is a rare skin neoplasm that has not been characterized on a molecular basis. Aim To assess expression profiles of Hedgehog (HH) signalling molecules in MAC and control tumours. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed for Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), Indian Hedgehog (IHH), Patched 1 (PTCH1) and Smoothened (SMO) on patient MAC tissue ( n = 26) and control tumour tissue, including syringoma (SyG; n = 11), trichoepithelioma (TE; n = 11) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC; n = 12) tissues. Results Patched 1 and SMO immunoreactivity was significantly higher in BCC than in SyG, TE or MAC ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.03, respectively). The highest IHH expression was observed in BCC and TE compared with SyG and MAC ( P < 0.04). Notably, the highest SHH protein expression was observed in SyG compared with MAC, TE and even BCC ( P < 0.001). In patients with MAC, SMO immunoreactivity significantly ( r = 0.51; P < 0.01) correlated with PTCH1 expression. Further correlation studies did not show significant associations between the HH expression markers assessed ( P > 0.05). Conclusion Our results indicate that alterations of the HH signalling are unlikely to play a major role in the pathogenesis of MAC, which is in contrast to the morphologically similar BCC and TE. Our observation provides additional information to the limited molecular pathology knowledge on this rare tumour.