Analysis of p53 gene mutations in parapsoriasis

Abstract

The histological diagnosis of the initial stages of Mycosis Fungoides (MF) have not yet been established by exact morphological criteria.1 The borderline between parapsoriasis and MF is not clear due to non-specific changes in the early stages of MF. The underlying molecular changes which may occur during progression or transition from parapsoriasis and early MF to advanced stages have not yet been clarified either.2 However, abnormalities of cell cycle control genes and well-defined tumour suppressor genes may contribute to the disease pathogenesis and progression. The p53 gene plays an important role in the control of cell death and proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest and/ or apoptosis in response to various cellular stress, and alterations of the p53 gene are commonly associated with malignant transformation.3 The p53 gene mutations, one of the most common genetic alterations in human cancers, have been described in several types of haemato logic malignancies.4 By contrast, only a few studies have focused on p53 abnormalities in various categories of T-cell lymphomas and to the best of our knowledge, parasoriasis has not been studied so far.5–10 Studies of p53 protein expression in primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma have shown to be increased in the late stages of the dis ease. This prompted us to investigate the incidence of p53 gene mutations in parapsoriasis and its role in the pathogenesis.