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Immunohistochemical expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 in pilomatricoma
I Kurokawa1, K Kusumoto, K Bessho
1Department of Dermatology, Hyogo Prefectural Tsukaguchi Hospital, 6-8-17 Minamitsukaguchi-cho, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0012, Japan. ikuro@ales.or.jp
Background:
The mechanism of occurrence of calcification and ossification in pilomatricoma remains unclear.
Objectives:
To elucidate the pathogenesis of calcification and ossification in pilomatricoma we examined the role of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, which plays important parts in inducing ectopic bone formation both in vivo and in vitro.
Methods:
Twenty cases of pilomatricoma were studied immunohistochemically using anti-BMP-2 monoclonal antibody.
Results:
In normal skin, including hair follicles, there was no BMP-2 expression. In all pilomatricomas, BMP-2 was found exclusively in the cytoplasm of shadow cells but not in basophilic cells. In two cases of bone formation seen in pilomatricoma, osteoblasts in the periosteal area showed a strong positive reaction, while bone trabeculum (bone matrix) showed no reaction.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that shadow cells positive for BMP-2 may play an important part in generating bone formation in pilomatricoma.