Hyaluronectin in normal human skin and in basal cell carcinoma.

The localization of hyaluronectin has been studied in normal skin and in basal cell carcinoma. In fetal skin it is abundant in the dermis but absent from the epidermis, and in adult skin it is totally absent except in the hair sheaths and bulbs. In basal cell carcinoma it is abundant only in the stroma reaction. The presence of this protein in mesenchymatous tissues seems to be linked to zones of physiological or neoplastic proliferation. Hyaluronectin is a protein which is biochemically characterized by its affinity for hyaluronic acid (Delpech, 1980; Delpech & Halavent, 1981). It has been purified from nervous system extracts and a specific antiserum was obtained which has allowed us to establish that this protein is identical to the mesenchyme associated antigen (MAA) which we have previously described (Delpecb et al., 1978, 1979). It is abundant in fetal skin and intestine and it reappears in considerable quantity in adult tumours (Delpech et al., 1979). In carcinomas it is present in the areas of mesenchymal proliferation which comprise the stroma reaction. In the current investigation we have studied hyaluronectin in skin and in basal cell carcinoma, a tumour which develops from undifferentiated epithelial germs. This choice was based on the ready accessibility and high frequency of these tumours and because around the epithelial lobules there is a stroma reaction which may be a model for carcinogenesis (Pinkus, 1979). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]