To improve segregation between ADC and SqCC in small samples, the classification of lung cancer was updated in 2011, adding immunohistochemistry (IHC) for p63 and TTF-1 to the diagnostic algorithm.
A common set of genes dysregulated in lung cancer was obtained, including BPA1, DUSP6, ASCL1, RNAS1 and S100P. p63 and CK 5/6 p63 are useful for differentiating adenocarcinoma and small cell lung cancer from squamous cell carcinoma.
We found that Snail-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is accompanied by down-regulation of p63 in human squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).
D2-40 and P63 expression highlighted both PAC and SCC and seems to be useful in excluding metastatic BrCa with a sensitivity and specificity of 58% and 100%, and 98% and 100%, respectively.
Spatial proximity between bronchus and ALK-rearranged tumors and frequent solid histologic subtype with p63 expression may cause diagnostic difficulties to differentiate squamous cell carcinoma in the small biopsy, whereas p40 was rarely expressed in ALK-rearranged adenocarcinoma.
Remarkably, a similar spectrum of phenotypic alterations is observed in human syndromes resulting from Tp63 gene mutations. p63 is an important hub in the transcriptional and signaling networks of epithelial cells; thus, it is not surprising that dysregulation of this transcription factor is associated with squamous cell carcinoma.
The SSP was developed in 68 NSCLC tumors of adenocarcinoma (AC), squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) histology, based on NanoString expression of 11 (CHGA, SYP, CD56, SFTPG, NAPSA, TTF-1, TP73L, KRT6A, KRT5, KRT40, KRT16) relevant genes for IHC-based NSCLC histology classification.
The identification of the SCC-associated interaction between SOX2 and p63 will enable deeper characterization the downstream targets of this interaction in SCC and normal squamous epithelial physiology.
These results demonstrate that some SCC cell lines are deficient in global nucleotide excision repair and support a role for p63 as a regulator of nucleotide excision repair in SCCs.
Many significant genes at the 3q26.2-q29 regions previously linked to a specific histology, such as EVI1,MDS1, PIK3CA and TP73L, were observed in SCC (P < 0.05).
Finally, analysis of samples from patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma and precursors to invasive SCC demonstrated a significant correlation between p63 and VDR levels when compared with healthy normal skin control samples.