P63 Expression in Normal Skin and Common Cutaneous Carcinomas

The study investigated p63 expression in normal skin and various cutaneous carcinomas, including 16 basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), one keratoacanthoma, and 13 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Using immunohistochemistry, p63 was found to be expressed in the nuclei of basal and suprabasal epidermal cells, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, but not in terminally differentiated cells. All BCCs showed strong p63 immunoreactivity, while SCCs exhibited variable expression depending on differentiation grade, with undifferentiated cells showing higher positivity. The findings suggested that p63 might play a role in skin differentiation and oncogenesis of common skin carcinomas.