Background: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) consists of altered keratinocytes, presents variable differentiation, inexorably progresses, and on occasion metastasizes.
Objective: to investigate the biological activity of epidermal cells in SCCs by estimating the expression of PGP 9.5 and cyclin D1 using immunohistochemistry.
Methods: the sample included 13 well-differentiated cases of cutaneous SCC (grade I), 12 moderately differentiated tumors (grade II), and 7 poorly differentiated lesions (grade III). Four cases belonged to the distinct entity of pseudoadenoid SCC.
Results: PGP 9.5 expression was positively correlated with tumor stage (P < .001) and potential perineural invasion ( P < .001), whereas cyclin D1 expression correlated inversely with the degree of cellular differentiation (P < .001) and PGP 9.5 immunostaining (P < .001).
Conclusion: PGP 9.5 and cyclin D1 coexpression was closely associated with tumor aggressiveness and can be classified as a marker for predicting the outcome of resection-treated skin cancer patients.