HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

From Cell Biology to Tissue Engineering

 

Immunohistochemical expression and localization of MMP-9, MMP-13, E-Cadherin and Ki-67 in road pavers' skin chronically exposed to bitumen products

Carla Loreto1, Claudia Lombardo1, Rosario Caltabiano2, Vera Filetti1, Ermanno Vitale3, Danilo Seminara3, Sergio Castorina4, Concettina Fenga5, Caterina Ledda3 and Venerando Rapisarda3

1Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Anatomy and Histology, 2Department "G.F. Ingrassia", Section of Pathologic Anatomy, 3Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, 4Department "G.F. Ingrassia", Section of Human Anatomy, University of Catania, Catania and 5Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Occupational Medicine Section, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Offprint requests to: Dr. Claudia Lombardo, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia, 87 – 95123 Catania, Italy. e-mail: claudialombardodoc@gmail.com


Summary. To investigate the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, (MMP)-13, E-Cadherin and Ki-67 expressions in road pavers' skin chronically exposed to bitumen products in order to contribute to a better understanding of the earlier tissue alteration. Skin punch biopsies from 16 daily exposed workers and a control group were studied by immunohistochemistry. Morphometric and densitometric analyses were also conducted. Morphological specimen evaluation of skin of road pavers showed epidermal thinning, flattening and loss of intercellular junction with a decreased expression of E-cadherin confined to the basal skin layer, together with MMP-9 and MMP-13 overexpressions in all epidermis layers, vascular structures and adnexa. No immunohistochemical alteration was reported for Ki-67 vs normal skin. Results from this study show that overexpression of MMP-9 and MMP-13 may represent an early response of the first human barrier to exposure to bitumen products. Regulation of MMPs could be one of the strategies to prevent primary skin disease. Histol Histopathol 34, 1141-1150 (2019)

Key words: Cancer, Occupational exposure, PAHs, Matrix metalloproteinase, E-Cadherin, Ki-67, Workers

DOI: 10.14670/HH-18-116