The distinction between
renal oncocytoma and
renal cell carcinoma, especially
chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and clear cell
carcinoma with oncocytic features, is important due to the different
biologic potentials of these
tumors. RING E3
ligases have the subject of intense studies for their roles in many diseases including
cancer and as potential therapeutic targets. All RING E3
ligases, including BCA2, contain a consensus
protein sequence that would complex two or more
zinc ions in the expressed
protein. Identification of which
ubiquitin ligases specifically affect distinct cellular processes is essential to the development of targeted
therapeutics in these
tumors. The
ubiquitin-
proteasome system regulates the turnover of
proteins that have essential roles in the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage repair, and in protein trafficking, which makes this pathway a target for oncogenic events. In this study, we investigated expression of BCA2 in
renal oncocytoma and
renal cell carcinoma. A total of 158 patients were included in the study. Our study has shown that 114/114 (100 %) cases of
renal cell carcinoma were negative for BCA2. All 38 (100 %) cases of
renal oncocytoma were positive for BCA2, and 6/6 (100 %) cases designated as oncocytic
neoplasm which favor
oncocytoma were also positive for BCA2. This is the first study to date evaluating the expression of BCA2 in
renal oncocytoma. BCA2 could serve as a marker that may be utilized in the distinction between
renal oncocytoma and its mimickers.