The British journal of dermatology
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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a frequent skin cancer with low metastatic potential. Expression of the anchoring filament proteins, native laminin-5 and its individual alpha 3, beta 3 and gamma 2 chains, uncein. and linear IgA antigen was examined by immunostaining in 17 BCC with different histological subtypes. Immunoreactivity of the hemidesmosomal proteins, integrin alpha 6 beta 4, 230-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen (BP-230 Ag) and plectin/HD-1, and that of dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) components, integrin alpha 2 beta 1, laminin-1, collagen IV, and collagen VII was also analysed. ⋯ The labelling of integrin alpha 2 beta 1, laminin-1, collagen IV and collagen VII indicated no alteration in the synthesis of these proteins. In peritumoral lacunae, immunoreactivity of hemidesmosome and anchoring filament proteins was absent, except for plectin/HD-1 on the tumour side and sometimes for laminin-5 on the stromal side, while laminin-1, collagen IV and collagen VII were detected on the stromal side. These findings suggest that the components of the hemidesmosome-anchoring filament complex are not synthetized or assembled properly in BCC, and that the alteration of these adhesion structures may be the cause of peritumoral lacunae.