INTEGRIN MOLECULES - A CLUE TO THE NONMETASTASIZING BEHAVIOR OF BASAL-CELL CARCINOMAS

Does the integrin profile of basal cell carcinomas explain their non-m etastasizing behaviour? Immunohistochemical investigation of nodular ( n = 31) and superficial (n = 17) tumours yielded a strong expression o f alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 6, beta 1, and beta 3 subunits and a weak ex pression of alpha 4 subunits hy the epithelial tumour component. alpha 5 subunits were focally detected in superficial basal cell carcinomas but not in the nodular type. Tumour cells mere nearly devoid of alpha v subunits. The integrin profile of basal fell carcinomas does not di ffer essentially from that of metastasizing tumour varieties and canno t be regarded as a major reason for the non-metastasizing phenotype of basal cell carcinomas.