| Abstract: |
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common human cancer, but its molecular-genetic pathogenesis is unclear. In many other types of cancer, mutations of the tumor-suppressor gene p53 occur frequently and may lead to overexpression of a long-lived mutant form of p53 protein. In this study, overexpression of p53 protein was detected immunohistochemically in 30 (83%) of 36 specimens of BCC of the head and neck. The same regions of tumor typically were reactive both with a monoclonal antibody (PAb240) specific for the mutant protein and with one (PAb1801) directed against an epitope common to both wild-type and mutant p53 protein. Keratinocytes of chronically sun-exposed epidermis adjacent to BCCs also focally overexpressed p53 protein in the majority of cases, whereas those of sunprotected buttock skin did not. Mutation of p53 may form an important part of the pathogenetic sequence in a majority of cases of BCC. |
