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CADHERIN EXPRESSION IN MELANOCYTIC NAEVI AND MALIGNANT MELANOMAS
Author(s) -
COWLEY GERARD P.,
SMITH MARK E. F.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199606)179:2<183::aid-path554>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - immunostaining , cadherin , pathology , immunohistochemistry , nevus , biology , staining , melanoma , medicine , cancer research , cell , genetics
An immunocytochemical study has been undertaken of cadherin expression in 11 benign melanocytic naevi and 14 malignant melanomas. Anti‐pan‐cadherin rabbit antibodies, which recognize multiple cadherin subtypes, demonstrated cadherin expression of moderate or strong intensity in 8 of 11 naevi. Expression was restricted to the more superficial melanocytes which possessed abundant cytoplasm (type A melanocytes). More deeply located melanocytes possessing little cytoplasm (type B melanocytes) or having a spindle cell morphology (type C melanocytes) lacked detectable pan‐cadherin expression. The monoclonal antibody HECD‐1 detected weak E‐cadherin immunostaining in all 11 naevi, expression again being limited, with a single exception, to type A melanocytes. Cadherin immunostaining of moderate or strong intensity was detected by the pan‐cadherin antibody in all 14 malignant melanomas. In contrast to naevi, cadherin expression in melanomas frequently extended into the deepest portions of the tumours. E‐cadherin immunostaining in malignant melanomas was generally much stronger than that seen in naevi, often being of comparable intensity to the pan‐cadherin staining. In summary, cadherins are frequently expressed in melanocytic tumours. In naevi, cadherin expression is related to the degree of melanocytic maturation. Cadherin expression, and particularly E‐cadherin expression, tends to be greater in malignant melanomas than in naevi.