Significance of PC cell-derived growth factor and cyclin D1 expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

PC cell-derived growth factor (PCDGF) is an autocrine growth factor originally purified from the highly tumorigenic teratoma PC cell line. It participates in tumorigenesis and tumour progression through upregulation of cyclin D1. To date, there has been no report on the role of PCDGF in skin cancer, to our knowledge.

AIM: To investigate the expression of PCDGF and cyclin D1 in basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and seborrhoeic keratosis (SK), and their relationship with the clinicopathological parameters of SCC.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical expression of PCDGF and cyclin D1 was examined in 42 SCC, 30 BCC and 20 SK tissues.

RESULTS

PCDGF and cyclin D1 were overexpressed in SCC or BCC tissues compared with normal skin or SK, and their expressions were significantly higher in SCC than in BCC. Moreover, positive expression of PCDGF and cyclin D1 was significantly correlated with depth of invasion and metastasis of SCC. There was significant correlation between PCDGF and cyclin D1 expression in SCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of PCDGF and cyclin D1 plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of BCC and SCC. Abnormal expression of PCDGF and Cyclin D1 may be related to invasion and metastasis of SCC.