Aim:-The objective of this study was to assess the role of SMAD-4 and Pcadherin
in the pathogenesis and progression of melanocytic skin lesions.
Patients and methods:
This study was carried on 50 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of
Melanocytic skin lesions and ten normal control cases. All cases were H&E stained
and immunohistochemically examined for P-cadherin and SMAD-4. They were
classified into benign (New), in situ and invasive malignant melanoma. Malignant
melanoma cases were classified also according to the available prognostic
clinicopathologic variables. Results of P-cadherin and SMAD-4immunostaining and
these clinicopathological variant were correlated (Clark's level, Breslow level, lesion
ulceration, and tumor stage).
Results.
Both P-cadherin and SMAD-4 expression were negatively and significantly
correlated with malignant potential of melanocytic skin lesions. The results showed
also that down regulation of P-cadherin and loss of function of SMAD-4 were
significantly correlated with three of the prognostic clinicopathologic variants of
malignant melanoma ((Clark's level, Breslow level, and tumor stage). However their
correlation with lesion ulceration was insignifican |
