Background/aim: Melanoma-associated antigen A12 (MAGEA12) has recently been reported as a repressor of tumor-suppressor genes. This study aimed to investigate the implications of MAGEA12 expression in the pathogenesis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).
Materials and methods: MAGEA12 and p21 expression were investigated in 15 samples of normal skin and 111 of cSCC tissues by immunohistochemistry. The biological functions of MAGEA12 in cSCC were also investigated both in vitro and in vivo.
Results: Expression of both MAGEA12 and p21 was significantly increased in cSCC. MAGEA12 expression showed a positive correlation, while p21 expression showed negative correlation with the recurrence-free survival of patients with cSCC. In addition, MAGEA12 knockdown significantly attenuated proliferative, migratory, invasive, and tumorigenic activities of cSCC cells and was negatively correlated with p21 expression both in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusion: MAGEA12-mediated down-regulation of p21 may be involved in cSCC pathogenesis and MAGEA12 may serve as a molecular biomarker in cSCC.
Keywords: Melanoma-associated antigen A12; cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; molecular biomarker; p21; recurrence.
Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.