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Epidermal-type fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP), a protein related to the intracellular trafficking of fatty acids, is expressed in melanocytic tumours but not in normal human melanocytes. E-FABP interacts with S100A7. The presence of these two proteins was investigated in the urine of patients with cutaneous melanoma or other types of cancer, and healthy controls. The first voided morning urine samples of 31 patients with melanoma, 73 patients with other types of cancer and 17 healthy controls were concentrated and submitted to sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) immunoblotting for protein detection. In the healthy controls, the incidences of urinary detection of these proteins were higher in females than in males, being 50% (five out of 10) versus 0% (zero out of seven) for E-FABP ( < 0.05), and 70% (seven out of 10) versus 0% (zero out of seven) for S100A7 ( < 0.05). Both proteins were detected in the urine of patients with melanoma. The incidence of S100A7 was higher in the urine of patients with melanoma (77%, 24 out of 31) compared with healthy controls (41%, seven out of 17) and patients with other types of cancer (53%, 39 out of 73) ( < 0.03). In contrast, the incidence of E-FABP was the same among the melanoma group (39%, 12 out of 31), healthy controls (29%, five out of 17) and patients with other types of cancer (23%, 17 out of 73). Surprisingly, E-FABP was always detected in the urine of females with stage I/II or III melanoma, but was no longer detectable in the urine of patients with stage IV melanoma. Urinary S100A7 may have some specificity to the host response to melanoma since its incidence was not increased in other cancers. The lack of E-FABP detection in the urine of patients with distant metastases suggests an inverse relationship between E-FABP release and the spread of melanoma.

The calmodulin-like skin protein (CLSP) or so-called calmodulin-like protein 5, a recently discovered skin-specific calcium-binding protein, is closely related to keratinocyte differentiation. The 16-kDa protein is proteolytically degraded in the upper layers of the stratum corneum (SC) of healthy skin. With the use of specific new monoclonal antibodies to CLSP, we were able to demonstrate that the abnormal elevated levels of CLSP, characteristic of psoriatic epidermis, were probably not due to an overexpression of the protein, but most likely the result of its non-degradation. Further in vitro experiments using recombinant CLSP and in situ data clearly showed that calcium protected and chelator accelerated CLSP degradation. These data indicate that CLSP degradation in the SC of psoriatic skin might be hindered by the abnormally elevated calcium concentration. No degradation of CLSP in psoriatic epidermis keeping its ability to bind protein as transglutaminase 3 may have a physiological role in skin diseases such as psoriasis.

The genesis of familial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas involves activation of the Sonic hedgehog signal transduction pathway. Other known factors for the development of basal cell carcinoma are ultraviolet exposure, X-rays, race, age, gender and decreased DNA repair capacity. We here report the case of a right earlobe sporadic basal cell carcinoma in a 65-year-old woman. This case is unusual because of its earlobe localization and its association with multiple auricular acupuncture treatments. This observation suggests a connection between local traumas, which occur in the course of acupuncture treatment and ear piercing, and the genesis of basal cell carcinoma. The incidence of minor adverse events associated with acupuncture is high, but serious events are uncommon. Acupuncture is not known to date for promoting the development of tumors. This connection remains to be elucidated.

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