Objectives: To determine the age and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status of patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN), and to analyze tumor proliferation, Bcl-2, and p53 oncoprotein expression in OSSN.
Methods: Only patients with histologically proved neoplasia were included in this study. The HIV status was obtained only with informed consent. Monoclonal antibodies to p53 and Bcl-2 protein were used after microwave antigen retrieval to enhance immunohistochemical staining of the sections. Proliferation was assessed by means of Ki-67 antigen expression. Positive staining in each specimen was expressed as a percentage and graded accordingly.
Results: Forty-one eyes in 40 black patients with a mean age of 37 years were found to have OSSN. Of the 41 lesions, 35 represented in situ or invasive carcinoma. The remaining 6 had mild or moderately dysplastic lesions. Seventeen patients agreed to an HIV test and, of these, 12 (70.6%) were HIV positive. All 12 were younger than 50 years, and 11 had either carcinoma in situ or invasive lesions. Twenty-two of 40 lesions expressed significant (greater than 50% of neoplastic cells) p53 positivity, while Bcl-2 expression was detected in 10. Ki-67 expression was low, even in the HIV-positive lesions.
Conclusions: At our institution, OSSN occurs in young patients, many of whom are HIV positive. Expression of p53 is a common finding, whereas Bcl-2 immunoexpression occurs in the minority of cases. Ki-67 analysis showed that OSSN is a slow-growing tumor, even in the presence of HIV infection.