Background: Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC), the most prevalent types being Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), is the most common type of malignancy in human beings. These neoplasms are more frequent in the elderly and fair skinned people and mainly occur on sun-exposed sites of the body. Ultraviolet B (UVB) has a well-known effect in induction and promotion of growth of these cancers. The p53 tumor suppressor gene is believed to be an early target in UV-induced skin carcinogenesis. Aggregates of keratinocytes with p53 protein overexpression are frequently identified in normal human skin and are more prevalent in chronically sun-exposed skin, and have been proposed to play a role in skin cancer pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to clarify the potential role of P53 in the development of NMSC.
Methods: Immunohistochemical evaluation of p53 expression in peri-lesional skin of 90 cases of SCC, BCC and melanocytic nevi was performed.
Results: The well-delineated compact type of p53 clone, but not the strong dispersed type, was significantly more predominant in SCCs in comparison with BCCs and melanocytic nevi (P value=0.001). The size of p53 clones was also significantly greater in SCCs compared to the BCCs (P=0.003) and melanocytic nevi (P=0.001). There was no significant difference between these neoplasms regarding the frequency of P53 clones (P=0.86).
Conclusion: This study suggests the possible relationship of epidermal p53 clones with the pathogenesis of SCC.
Keywords: Basal cell; Carcinoma; P53 Antigen; Skin; Squamous.