C-myc oncogene expression in anal squamous neoplasia.

Abstract

AIMS:

To determine the pattern of c-myc oncogene expression in anal squamous neoplasia and to determine if this could be used as a marker of disease progression.

METHODS:

The presence and localisation of the c-myc gene product p62 in archival specimens of anal squamous epithelium, normal and neoplastic, was examined using immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody Myc1-6E10. Ten normal and epithelia, 10 anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) III, and 31 anal squamous cancers were examined.

RESULTS:

There was a noticeable difference between the staining characteristics of invasive tumours, normal anal epithelium, and AIN III. Intense, diffuse, mixed nuclear and cytoplasmic (n = 14) and exclusively nuclear (n = 8) staining in 22 of 31 (71%) of invasive anal tumours was observed. All positively staining tumours were well differentiated histologically, while the negatively staining nine of 31 (29%) were poorly differentiated (n = 7) and moderately well differentiated (n = 2). In six positively staining tumour sections adjacent areas of AIN III and non-dysplastic anal epithelium had staining characteristics similar to those of the invasive component. Staining in both normal anal epithelium (4/10) and AIN III specimens obtained from patients without a history of invasive disease (8/10) was less intense, focal in distribution, and exclusively nuclear. No difference in staining characteristics could be detected in these two groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results of this study suggest that c-myc oncogene expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of anal squamous neoplasia, and that immunohistochemical staining for c-myc protein may be helpful in identifying those AIN III lesions most likely to progress to invasive tumours.

• Authors: O A Ogunbiyi, J H Scholefield, K Rogers, F Sharp, J H Smith, S V Polacarz
• Journal: Journal of clinical pathology (J Clin Pathol) Vol. 46 Issue 1 Pg. 23-7 (Jan 1993) ISSN: 0021-9746 [Print] England
• PMID: 7679417 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc

Topics

• Anal Canal (chemistry)
• Anus Neoplasms (genetics, pathology)
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (genetics, pathology)
• Epithelium (chemistry)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (physiology)
• Genes, myc (physiology)
• Humans
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc (analysis)
• Staining and Labeling (methods)