CD-44: a marker of metastases of head and neck melanomas

Specimens of 38 melanomas of the oral cavity and facial skin and 23 lymph nodes with melanoma metastases were stained immunohistochemically for the presence of variants 5, 6, 7 and 8 of CD-44 antigen. A positive reaction was observed only for variant 7-8 in primary melanomas as well as in lymph nodes with metastases from melanoma. The CD-44 score (percentage of CD-44 positive cells chi intensity of reaction) correlated with metastatic behaviour of tumours and was greater in metastatic lymph nodes than in primary tumours.