The Expression of NF- κβ in Mycosis Fungoides Before and After Photochemotherapy

The nuclear factor kappa beta (nf- kβ) family of transcription factors is an important regulatorof genes expressed during apoptosis. constitut ive activation of nf- kβ in cutaneous t ce ll lymphoma lines has been suggested to playa key role in survival and apopto sis resistance of neoplas tic t lymphocytes. aim of th ework. to investigate the expression of nf- kpin cases of mycosis fungoides (mf) and to find out the effect of photochemotherapy on its expression. patients and methods. the study included 30 patients (patch and plaquestage mf) and 10 healthy controls. paraffin embedded skin biopsy specimens were subjected to immunohistochemical determination of nf- kp before and after 20 sessions of puva. results. the results of this study revealed highly constitutive express ion of nf- kp in neoplastic t lymphocytes of all mf patients but with variable degrees. this nf- k β expression was decreased after 20 sessions of puva. conclusion. it can be concluded that nf- kp plays an important role in the path ogenesis of mf and the decre ase in its expression after puva could point to the mechanism by which puva exerts its apoptotic effects in the treatment of mf.