BMI1 and TWIST1 Downregulated mRNA Expression in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: BMI1, TWIST1 and SNAI2/SLUG have been implicated in aggressive behavior of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma and BMI1 expression could identify subtypes of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). However, BMI1, TWIST1 and SNAI2 expression levels in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) have not been elucidated. We hypothesized BCC could be a good model system to decipher mechanisms which inhibit processes that drive tumor metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine the mRNA expression level of BMI1, TWIST1, and SNAI2 in BCCs. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five fresh non-metastatic BCC tissue samples and seven fresh normal skin tissue samples were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. Results: BMI1 and TWIST1 demonstrated marked down-regulation (p<0.00l, p=0.00l respectively), but SNAI2 showed no significant change (p=0.12). Conclusions: Previous literature has clearly demonstrated a positive association between BMI1 and TWIST1 expression and metastatic BCC, aggressive SCC and melanoma. Here, we demonstrated a negative association between BMI1 and TWIST1 mRNA expression level and BCC.

Tumors Involving Skin, Soft Tissue and Skeletal Muscle: Benign, Primary Malignant or Metastatic?

“…There was accumulating evidence revealing that incidence of skin cancer varied in different ethnic backgrounds (Capell et al, 2009;Lin et al, 2011). Among these malignancies, basal cell carcinoma was known as the most frequent type of skin cancer (Rajabpour FV et al, 2014). The following malignancies in skin were cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.…”

Co-Expression of Putative Cancer Stem Cell Markers, CD133 and Nestin, in Skin Tumors

“…Thus, BCC could be a good model system to elucidate mechanisms which inhibit processes that drive tumor metastasis. Although up regulation of BMI1 and TWIST1 have been reported in aggressive SCC, melanoma and metastatic BCC, a recent study showed decreased levels of BMI1 and TWIST1 mRNA expression in non-metastatic BCCs (Rajabpour et al, 2014).…”

Upregulation of SNAI2 and SOX9 mRNA versus downregulation of eight other EMT/stemness related genes in basal cell carcinoma

“…BCC, with its rarely metastatic and less aggressive behaviour, can be a good in vivo model to study the potentially intrinsic inhibitory mechanism that can attenuate aggressiveness and metastasis. We previously reported downregulation of BMI1 and TWIST1 mRNA expression in nonmetastatic BCC samples compared with controls . We extended our research and hypothesized that BCC can be a rarely metastatic cancer model, and we aimed to understand the potentially metastatic attenuating features in BCC with focus on the EMT and stemness regulatory molecular network.…”

“…Histopathological data was double‐checked, and results demonstrated that 55% of the BCC tumours had mixed pathology and 45% had nonmixed pathology results. In addition, based on the aggressiveness and invasiveness as indicated by the histopathology results, the BCC tumours were divided into high‐risk (53·3%) and low‐risk (46·7%) groups, as described previously …”