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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
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Combining Reflectance Confocal Microscopy with Optical Coherence Tomography for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Skin Cancers via Image Acquisition
Published on: August 18, 2022
[Cutaneous squamocellular carcinoma--immunohistochemical aspects]
Ioana Iosep1, Luminiţa Ivan, Laurette Cozma
1Serviciul de Dermatologie, Spitalul Militar de Urgenţă Iaşi.
Summary
p53 gene mutations are common in skin squamous cell carcinoma. While p53 protein was highly detected, its correlation with tumor differentiation was unclear, unlike Ki-67. Further research is needed to clarify their diagnostic roles.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatopathology
- Molecular Biology
Context:
- Nonmelanoma skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), frequently harbor p53 gene mutations.
- The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a critical role in cellular response to DNA damage and cancer development.
- Ki-67 is a widely used marker for cell proliferation in various cancers.
Purpose:
- To investigate the expression of p53 protein and the proliferative marker Ki-67 in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
- To evaluate the correlation between p53 and Ki-67 expression and the histological differentiation of SCC.
Summary:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of 21 SCC cases revealed high p53 immunoreactivity (76.2%) with no significant correlation to histological differentiation.
- Ki-67 expression showed a significant correlation with histological differentiation (p = 0.02), with values ranging from 10% to 75% (mean 35%).
- The study suggests that high p53 immunoreactivity may result from gene mutations or other molecular mechanisms, but its diagnostic and prognostic utility remains uncertain.
Impact:
- This study highlights the frequent involvement of p53 alterations in skin SCC.
- The findings suggest Ki-67 may be a more reliable indicator of histological differentiation in SCC than p53.
- Limitations due to a small sample size necessitate further investigation to establish definitive diagnostic and prognostic roles for p53 and Ki-67 in skin SCC.
