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An immunophenotypic survey of malignant melanomas
P W Bishop1, L P Menasce, A J Yates
1Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK.
Histopathology
|August 1, 1993
Summary
Malignant melanoma immunophenotypes can change over time, with markers like HMB-45 decreasing and others like CAM 5.2 increasing, impacting diagnostic accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Dermatopathology
Background:
- Malignant melanoma is a significant skin cancer.
- Immunophenotyping aids in melanoma diagnosis and classification.
- Understanding melanoma immunophenotype evolution is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in malignant melanoma immunophenotypes.
- To assess the variability of immunohistochemical markers in melanoma progression.
- To evaluate the impact of immunophenotype alterations on diagnostic practice.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of 106 malignant melanoma specimens from 59 patients.
- Utilized formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.
- Compared immunophenotypes of primary tumors, local recurrences, and metastases.
Main Results:
- Observed HMB-45 negativity in 11% of specimens.
- CAM 5.2 positivity was noted in 7% of specimens.
- Significant immunophenotype alterations were found in 9 out of 12 cases with anomalous profiles.
- Progressive loss of HMB-45, S-100, and NKI/C3 with gain of CAM 5.2 and alpha SMA was documented.
Conclusions:
- Malignant melanoma immunophenotypes can exhibit significant alterations during disease progression.
- Changes include loss of melanoma-specific markers and gain of markers associated with differentiation.
- These dynamic changes have critical implications for the reliability of immunophenotyping in melanoma diagnosis.