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p53 Abnormalities are rare events in neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma of the skin

An immunohistochemical and SSCP analysis

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess a possible role of the tumour suppressor genep53 in neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma of the skin with regard to tumour development and tumour progression. p53 was investigated in a series of routinely processed Merkel cell carcinomas, with application of four different p53 antibodies (CM-l, PAb1801, D07, and PAb240) to 25 carcinomas and screening forp53 mutations of exons 4–8 by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis in 9 cases. All 25 tumours in the present series showed the characteristic microscopic and immunohistochemical features of Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin. In 5 of the 25 Merkel cell carcinomas investigated 5–10% of tumour cell nuclei showed a positive p53 reaction with at least one anti-p53 antibody. A few scattered p53 positive nuclei were found in an additional 9 cases. The remaining 11 cases completely lacked p53 immunostaining. SSCP analysis of exons 4–8 revealed no significant alterations in the mobility shift of the single strand DNAs in the five cases with 5–10% p53-immunoreactive tumour nuclei or in five cases lacking p53 accumulation significant. Our results suggest that alterations of the p53 gene play only a minor part in the development or progression of Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Dermatology, University of Münster, Germany

    Monika Schmid, Dieter Metze & Thomas A. Luger

  2. Clinic of Ophthalmology, University of Münster, Germany

    Katharina Janβen

  3. Clinic of Dermatology, University of Innsbruck, Austria

    Bernhard W. Zelger

  4. Department of Pathology, University of Münster, Domagkstrasse 17, D-48149, Münster, Germany

    Barbara Dockhorn-Dworniczak & Kurt W. Schmid

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  1. Monika Schmid
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  2. Katharina Janβen
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  3. Barbara Dockhorn-Dworniczak
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  4. Dieter Metze
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  5. Bernhard W. Zelger
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  6. Thomas A. Luger
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  7. Kurt W. Schmid
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Correspondence to Kurt W. Schmid.

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Schmid, M., Janβen, K., Dockhorn-Dworniczak, B. et al. p53 Abnormalities are rare events in neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma of the skin. Virchows Archiv 430, 233–237 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01324807

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01324807

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