Risk of basal cell carcinoma in Swedish organ transplant recipients: a population-based study.

Background: Risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has been reported to be several-fold increased among organ transplant recipients (OTRs). However, due to lack of reliable BCC registration, population-based risk estimates are scarce.

Objectives: To characterize risk of BCC among OTRs compared with the general population, and contrast with risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Interobserver variability of histopathological prognostic parameters in cutaneous malignant melanoma: impact on patient management.

Clinical management of primary cutaneous melanomas is based on histopathological staging of the tumour. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a non-selected population in clinical practice, the agreement rate between general pathologists and pathologists experienced in melanoma in terms of the evaluation of histopathological prognostic parameters in cutaneous malignant melanomas, and to what extent the putative variability affected clinical management. A total of 234 cases of invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma were included in the study from the Stockholm-Gotland Healthcare Region in Sweden.

Differences in the peritumoural inflammatory skin infiltrate between squamous cell carcinomas in organ transplant recipients and immunocompetent patients.

Organ transplant recipients (OTR) have a greatly increased risk (up to 100 times) of developing squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in the skin. This is attributed specifically to chronic immunosuppression, causing dysfunctional viral defence and tumour protection. To investigate the possible link between increasing risk of SCCs and type of inflammation in these tumour-prone patients, we analysed the peritumoural infiltrates with regard to cell types and densities.

Changes in tissue prostatic acidic phosphatase during endocrine treatment of patients with prostatic carcinoma.

Objective: We have previously developed methods for the quantification of different macromolecules in aspiration biopsy material and described the changes in prostate-specific antigen (T-PSA) during cancer treatment. We have now studied the changes in tissue prostatic acidic phosphatase (T-PAP) in 58 endocrine-treated patients with prostatic carcinoma and compared these data with cancer development data and tissue PSA (T-PSA) levels.

Material And Methods: PAP and PSA were quantified in aspiration biopsies taken before treatment and after 6 and 12 months of treatment.

Tissue concentrations of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and prostatic specific antigen (PSA) in 42 patients with prostatic carcinoma.

Background: Following development of methods to quantitate biochemical markers in aspiration biopsies we showed that tissue concentration of prostate specific antigen (T-PSA) decreased with increasing malignancy while serum PSA increased. We also found that T-PSA predicts the clinical outcome better than earlier used prognostic markers.

Methods: In order to further study biochemical markers in prostatic cancer a membrane protein, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), which is a complex of polypeptide fragments of cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, was quantitated in 42 patients with newly diagnosed carcinoma of the prostate.

Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 9p21 (INK4-p14ARF locus): homozygous deletions and mutations in the p16 and p14ARF genes in sporadic primary melanomas.

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was determined in 45 sporadic primary melanomas at six polymorphic microsatellite markers that flank the INK4a (p16-p14ARF) locus on chromosome 9p21. We also determined allelic loss at two markers on chromosome 9q and two markers at the Rb locus on chromosome 13. Homozygous deletion of the p16 and p14ARF genes was determined by a fluorescent-based quantitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction method.

Inter- and intra-individual differences in human stratum corneum lipid content related to physical parameters of skin barrier function in vivo.

For a full understanding of the properties of the human skin barrier, physical macroscopic parameters of barrier function must be correlated to the structural organization of the barrier on a molecular level. This study was undertaken to relate differences in the relative composition of the three main lipid classes of human stratum corneum, i.e.

Mutation analysis of the human homologue of Drosophila patched and the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A genes in squamous cell carcinomas of the skin.

The human homologue of Drosophila patched (PTCH), located at chromosome 9q22.3, was recently identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene for familial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin display allelic loss in this chromosomal region, which, in addition to the PTCH gene, contains the DNA repair gene xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA).

Mutations in the CDKN2A (p16INK4a) gene in microdissected sporadic primary melanomas.

The role of the CDKN2A (p16INK4a) gene in sporadic primary melanomas has remained unclear due to the inadequate number of mutational studies. In the present study, we analyzed the entire coding region of the CDKN2A gene in microdissected sporadic primary melanomas, for the presence of mutations and polymorphisms, using 2 independent methods of mutation detection, SSCP and CMC. We found 11 intragenic mutations in 8 melanomas out of 31 (26%) and the majority of mutations were located in exon 1, with 2 cases harbouring multiple mutations.

Mutations in the human homologue of Drosophila patched (PTCH) in basal cell carcinomas and the Gorlin syndrome: different in vivo mechanisms of PTCH inactivation.

The nevoid basal cell carcinoma (Gorlin) syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by multiple developmental defects and cancer susceptibility, in particular to basal cell carcinoma. The human homologue of Drosophila patched (PTCH) was recently identified, mapped to the NBCCS locus on chromosome 9q22.3, and found mutated in patients with NBCCS and also in sporadic basal cell carcinomas.

Correlation of impedance response patterns to histological findings in irritant skin reactions induced by various surfactants.

We have explored the use of measurements of electrical impedance to discriminate between the effects of different irritant substances upon the skin, and have studied the relationships between impedance and histopathological change. Three compounds with different chemical profiles were tested on volunteers: sodium lauryl sulphate, benzalkonium chloride and nonanoic acid. The concentrations selected were such that each irritant produced responses of a similar order, as judged by visual scores.