Comparison of growth hormone receptor, igf-1r and igfbp-3 between tumoral and non-tumoral areas in non-melanoma skin cancers.

OBJECTIVE A relationship between the pathogenesis of some cancers and growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 has been shown. Our aim was to evaluate the expression of growth hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 in actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and to compare the expression patterns of tumoral areas with normal epidermis and skin appendages. MATERIAL AND METHOD The formalin-fixed, paraff in-embedded tissues of 40 patients which were diagnosed as 15 actinic keratosis, 15 basal cell carcinoma and 15 squamous cell carcinoma were analyzed for growth hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 with the immunohistochemical method using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. RESULTS There was no difference between tumoral areas of actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in expression of growth hormone receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 (P > 0.05). However, a significantly higher expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor was observed in tumoral areas of squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.01). In basal cell carcinoma, a significantly lower intensity of immunostaining with growth hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 in tumoral areas than skin appendages was seen (P < 0.01). In squamous cell carcinoma, higher expressions of growth hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 in tumoral areas than peritumoral epidermis was found (P =0.06, P < 0.01 and P =0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION Our study points out that, growth hormone receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin-like growth factors binding protein-3 have a role in the pathogenesis of non-melanoma skin cancers, especially squamous cell carcinoma.