Overexpression of p63 Protein in Patients with Seborrheic Keratosis in the Setting of Carbohydrate Metabolism Disorders

Aim. The paper studies p63 expression in patients with seborrheic keratosis in the presence or absence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders.

Materials and methods. The study involved 130 patients with seborrheic keratosis. Following the endocrinologist’s consultation, the patients were divided into two groups. The fi rst group comprised 68 people: 44 patients with type 2 diabetes and 24 patients with impaired glucose tolerance. The second group was composed of patients without carbohydrate metabolism disorders (62 people). The authors performed a histological study and an immunohistochemical (IHC) test using monoclonal antibodies to р63. The results of the IHC test were analysed according to the number of stained tumour cells: 0 — no response or weak staining of less than 10% of the cells, 1 — from 10% to 30% of tumour cells are stained, 2 — staining of more than 30% of tumor cells; as well as according to the colour intensity: weak (+) and marked (++).

Results. The IHC test using monoclonal antibodies to р63 produced a positive reaction in 82.3% of cases. Sixty-fi ve seborrheic keratomas (SK) (50%) exhibited a diffuse pronounced expression of p63. Weak nuclear staining (10%–30% of cells) was recorded in 42 SKs (32.3%). The study revealed a high correlation dependence of p63 expression in SK on the presence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders in patients (R = 0.82, p = 0.0000001). Thus, in patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders, overexpression of p63 in SKs was found to be signifi cantly higher — 89.7%, as compared to 6.4% in patients without impaired carbohydrate metabolism (p = 0.00001).

Conclusion. P63 overexpression in seborrheic keratosis correlates with the presence of chronic hyperglycemia in patients. Disruption of cellular metabolism leads to changes in the balance between p63 isoforms and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of seborrheic keratosis.