Receptor tyrosine kinase and p16/CDKN2 expression in a case of tripe palms associated with non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Tripe palms is a descriptive term for a cutaneous paraneoplastic keratoderma. Tripe palms are frequently associated with gastric and pulmonary carcinoma. The pathogenetic mechanism remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of receptor tyrosine kinases, which are both expressed in pulmonary carcinomas and in human skin, we performed expression studies on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), HER2, HER3 in a skin sample of tripe palms obtained from a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer with lymph node involvement. Two months after diagnosis, the patient had developed palmoplantar 'tripe palms'. Additionally, the expression of SRC, c-myc and p16/ CDKN2 were studied. METHOD Conventional reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed on a tissue sample of tripe palms. RESULTS Weak expression of HER2 and of p16/CDKN2 was found. EGFR, HER3, c-myc and SRC were not expressed. CONCLUSION Receptor tyrosine kinases of subclass I, the tyrosine kinase SRC and the oncogene c-myc play no major role in the pathogenesis of this case of tripe palms.