Figure 5.

Downregulation of minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (Mcm2) with differentiation in dysplastic and neoplastic squamous epithelium. In (A), full thickness squamous dysplasia with Mcm2 expression up to the mucosal surface (on the left of the picture) is associated with a basaloid phenotype. On the right, marked nuclear atypia persists to the mucosal surface but cells towards the surface have more cytoplasm and this morphological change is associated with loss of detectable Mcm2. Similarly, in a moderately differentiated invasive oesophageal squamous carcinoma (B), many carcinoma cells are Mcm2 positive but viable Mcm2 negative carcinoma cells are present within cell nests with morphological features of differentiation (keratinisation).