Ann Dermatol.  2010 Aug;22(3):284-289. 10.5021/ad.2010.22.3.284.

The Immunohistochemical Patterns of the beta-Catenin Expression in Pilomatricoma

• Kim YS
• Shin DH
• Choi JS
• Kim KH

• KMID: 2265361
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2010.22.3.284

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pilomatricoma is a benign follicular tumor that is composed of basaloid cells, transitional cells and shadow cells. beta-Catenin is a 92-kDa protein, and it plays important roles in cell-cell adhesion at the cell membrane and signal transduction in the nucleus. beta-Catenin has recently been shown to play an important role in the formation of hair follicle-related tumors, including pilomatricoma. However, the pattern and the intracellular localization of the beta-Catenin expression are still controversial.
OBJECTIVE
We wanted to evaluate the pattern and the intracellular localization of the beta-Catenin expression in pilomatricoma by performing immunohistochemical staining.
METHODS
Twenty-seven paraffin-embedded tissue samples that were diagnosed as pilomatricoma were immunohistochemically stained with beta-Catenin antibody.
RESULTS
Basaloid cells were found 15 samples of the total 27 pilomatricomas. All (15/15) of the basaloid cells strongly expressed beta-Catenin, but the transitional cells and the shadow cells did not. In the basaloid cells, the nuclei and membranes showed prominent beta-Catenin immunoreactivities, but the cytoplasm showed weak beta-Catenin immunoreactivity.
CONCLUSION
This study confirmed that the nucleus and membrane of all the basaloid cells in the pilomatricomas showed a strong beta-Catenin expression, but the transitional cells and shadow cells showed negative beta-Catenin immunoreactivity.

Keyword

beta-Catenin; Immunohistochemical stain; Pilomatricoma

MeSH Terms

beta Catenin
Cell Membrane
Cytoplasm
Hair
Membranes
Pilomatrixoma
Signal Transduction
beta Catenin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Basaloid cells (B), transitional cells (T), and shadow cells (S) are observed in pilomatricoma (H&E, ×100).

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  Fig. 2 β-Catenin immunostaining of the pilomatricoma (×100).

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  Fig. 3 Strong nuclear and membranous, weak cytoplasmic β-Catenin immunoreactivity in basaloid cells of pilomatricoma (A: ×200, B: ×400).

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  Fig. 4 (A) β-Catenin immunostaining of the normal hair follicles (×100). (B) Strong nuclear and membranous, but weak cytoplasmic β-Catenin immunoreactivity in matrix cells of normal hair follicle (×400). (C) Strong membranous and weak cytoplasmic β-Catenin immunoreactivity in outer root sheath cells of normal hair follicle (×400). (D) Strong nuclear β-Catenin immunoreactivity in fibroblasts of dermal papilla of normal hair follicle (×200).

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