ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Information is scarce about the presence of molecular alterations related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in squamous cell carcinomas of the genital skin and about the effect of this infection in the number of Langerhans cells present in these tumors. AIMS: To determine the presence of HPV in genital skin squamous cell carcinomas and to see the relationship between HPV infection and changes in the expression of Ki-67 antigen (Ki-67), p53 protein (p53), retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and E-cadherin and to alterations in Langerhans cell density, if any. METHODS: A descriptive, comparative, retrospective and cross-sectional study was performed with all the cases diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas of the genital skin at the Dermatopathology Service from 2001 to 2011. The diagnosis was verified by histopathological examination. The presence of HPV was examined using chromogenic in situ hybridization, and protein expression was studied via immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The 34 cases studied were verified as squamous cell carcinomas and 44.1% were HPV positive. The degree of expression of pRb was 17.50% ±14.11% (mean ± SD) in HPV-positive cases and 29.74% ±20.38% in HPV-negative cases (P = 0.0236). The degree of expression of Ki-67 was 47.67% ±30.64% in HPV-positive cases and 29.87% ±15.95% in HPV-negative cases (P = 0.0273). CONCLUSION: HPV infection was related to lower pRb expression and higher Ki-67 expression in comparison with HPV negative samples. We could not find a relationship between HPV infection and the degree of expression of p53 and E-cadherin or with Langerhans cell density.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics , Genital Neoplasms, Female/genetics , Genital Neoplasms, Male/genetics , Langerhans Cells , Papillomavirus Infections/genetics , Skin Neoplasms/genetics , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Cross-Sectional Studies , DNA Fingerprinting/methods , Female , Genital Neoplasms, Female/diagnosis , Genital Neoplasms, Male/diagnosis , Humans , Langerhans Cells/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Papillomavirus Infections/diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis , Young AdultABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Rosacea significantly affects the quality of life and its pathophysiology is not well understood. It has been suggested that the presence of Demodex folliculorum in the affected skin could be related to the development of rosacea. AIMS: To study the risk for association between the presence of D. folliculorum in skin biopsies and the diagnosis of rosacea. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Analytical, observational, retrospective, case-control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Skin biopsies of patients diagnosed clinically as rosacea and the same number of controls were studied. The controls were selected among the facial skin biopsies that were not diagnosed as rosacea. All the slides were analyzed for the presence of D. folliculorum and the density of the infestation was assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Absolute/relative frequencies, mean, standard deviation, odds ratio (OR), Chi square and Independent Student t-test with Epi Info v. 3.4.3(®). RESULTS: D. folliculorum was present in 80% of the skin biopsies of rosacea patients and in 30% of the controls. The risk of suffering rosacea was increased among persons infested with the mite (OR = 9.33 [95% confidence interval: 2.85-30.60]; P = 0.0001). The mean infestation density among the cases was 1.908 for every 10 high-power fields while it was 0.718 among the controls (P < 0.005). There were no statistically significant differences among the groups with regard to sex and age. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of D. folliculorum in skin biopsies is associated with the diagnosis of rosacea. The infestation density was increased among the patients with rosacea.
