Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Cell Population Analyses During Skin Carcinogenesis
Published on: August 21, 2013
Expression of Early Growth Response 3 in Skin Cancers
Kai-Yi Zhou1, Li-Jia Deng, Si-Yu Luo
1Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Objective:
To assess the expression of early growth response 3 (EGR3) in normal skin and different types of skin tumors: cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), melanoma (MM), and cutaneous adnexal tumors containing sebaceous carcinoma (SC), trichoepithelioma (TE) and clear cell hidradenoma (CCH).
Background:
EGR3, expressed in multiple organs, including skin, plays an important role in cell differentiation and tumor growth. Previous studies have shown that EGR3 suppresses tumor growth and is downregulated in various malignancies. However, its distribution in normal skin and its expression especially in skin tumors have not been studied.
Materials And Methods:
Samples of normal cases (n = 4), cSCC (n = 12), BCC (n = 12), MM (n = 12), SC (n = 4), TE (n = 4), and CCH (n = 4) were collected from patients treated in our department between 2018 and 2023. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of EGR3. The results were analyzed with the description of the staining pattern and the histochemical score.
Results:
Immunohistochemical staining showed that EGR3 was uniquely expressed in normal skin in the granular layer and upper part of the stratum spinosum, as well as in sebaceous glands and hair follicles, but not in sweat glands. In skin cancers, BCC, SC, and TE showed positive EGR3 staining, whereas cSCC, MM, and CCH were negative.
Conclusions:
EGR3 has a specific expression pattern in normal skin and in skin tumors, which is important for the differential diagnosis of skin tumors, in particular for cSCC and sebaceous gland carcinoma.
More Related Videos
11:02The Three-Dimensional Human Skin Reconstruct Model: a Tool to Study Normal Skin and Melanoma Progression
Published on: August 3, 2011
06:473D Organotypic Co-culture Model Supporting Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cell Proliferation, Differentiation and Promiscuous Gene Expression
Published on: July 30, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
Abnormal Proliferation
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells