Regular Article

British Journal of Cancer (2001) 84, 512–519. doi:10.1054/bjoc.2000.1632 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 13 February 2001

Expression of individual lamins in basal cell carcinomas of the skin

R S Venables1,*, S McLean1, D Luny2, E Moteleb2, S Morley2, R A Quinlan3, E B Lane2 and C J Hutchison1,*

  1. 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
  2. 2Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
  3. 3Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
  4. *Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK

Received 6 June 2000; Revised 9 November 2000; Accepted 14 November 2000.

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Abstract

In this study we used a unique collection of type specific anti-lamin antibodies to study lamin expression patterns in normal human skin and in skin derived from patients with basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Lamin expression in serial sections from frozen tissue samples was investigated by single and double indirect immunofluorescence. In normal skin, lamin A was expressed in dermal fibroblasts and in suprabasal epithelial cells but was absent from all basal epithelial cells. Lamin C was expressed in dermal fibroblasts, suprabasal epithelial cells and a majority of basal epithelial cells. However, lamin C was not expressed in quiescent basal epithelial cells. Lamin B1was expressed in all epithelial cells but was not expressed in dermal fibroblasts. Finally, lamin B2was expressed in all epithelial cells but was not expressed in dermal fibroblasts. Finally, lamin B2was expressed in all cell types in normal skin. Lamin expression was also investigated in a collection of 16 BCCs taken from a variety of body sites. Based upon patterns of lamin expression the BCCs were classified into four groups: A-negative (10/16 tumours), C-negative (5/16 tumours), A/C-negative (1/16 tumours) and A/B2-negative (1/16 tumours). Lamin expression was also compared to cell proliferation index by staining serial sections with the proliferation marker Ki67. 9/10 of the lamin A negative tumours were highly proliferative, whereas 4/5 of the lamin C negative tumours were slow growing. Thus as a general rule absence of lamin A was correlated with rapid growth within the tumour, while absence of lamin C was correlated with slow growth within the tumour. Our data supports the hypothesis that lamin A has a negative influence on cell proliferation and its down regulation may be a requisite of tumour progression. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign

Keywords:

nuclear lamins, A-type lamins, B-type lamins, basal cell skin carcinomas

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