Örnek S, Ozekinci S, Ipin T, Kocaturk E. TOX, TWIST1, STAT4, and SATB1 protein expressions in early-stage mycosis fungoides.
J Cutan Pathol 2024;
51:232-238. [PMID:
37932931 DOI:
10.1111/cup.14557]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Diagnosis of early mycosis fungoides (eMF) is challenging and often delayed as many of its clinical and histopathologic features may mimic various benign inflammatory dermatoses (BIDs). The products of the thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box (TOX), twist family BHLH transcription factor 1 (TWIST1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4), and special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) genes function as transcription factors and are involved in the pathogenesis of MF.
OBJECTIVES
We aim to determine the diagnostic value of TOX, TWIST1, STAT4, and SATB1 protein expressions in eMF.
METHODS
This non-randomized, controlled, prospective analytic study was conducted by performing immunohistochemistry staining with TOX, TWIST1, STAT4, and SATB1 polyclonal antibodies in lesional skin biopsies of eMF and BID patients. Nuclear staining of lymphocytes was compared between eMF and BIDs, and the capacity of these antibodies to predict eMF was determined.
RESULTS
Immunostainings with anti-TWIST1 showed an increase in protein expression (p = 0.003) and showed a decrease with anti-SATB1 antibodies in eMF compared to BIDs (p = 0.005) while anti-TOX and anti-STAT4 antibodies did not exhibit significant differences (p = 0.384; p = 0.150). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that immunohistochemical evaluations of TWIST1 and SATB1 protein expressions can differentiate eMF (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.728, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.605-0.851, p = 0.002; AUC: 0.686, 95% CI: 0.565-0.807, p = 0.013).
CONCLUSIONS
TWIST1 and SATB1 are potential diagnostic markers for the histologic diagnosis of eMF.
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