Expression of p16, CD95, CD95L and Helix pomatia agglutinin in relapsing and nonrelapsing very thin melanoma

• Published in: British journal of dermatology (1951) Vol. 156; no. 3; pp. 440 - 447
• Main Authors: Fearfield, L.A., Larkin, J.M.G., Rowe, A., A'Hern, R., Fisher, C., Francis, N., MacKie, R., McCann, B., Gore, M.E., Bunker, C.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2007; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; biological markers; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 - metabolism; Dermatology; Fas Ligand Protein - metabolism; fas Receptor - metabolism; Female; Humans; Lectins - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Melanoma - metabolism; Melanoma - pathology; Melanoma - secondary; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; prognosis; Severity of Illness Index; skin neoplasms; Skin Neoplasms - metabolism; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Helicidae; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Helix pomatia; Skin disease; Relapse; Prognosis; Dermatology; Biological marker; Gastropoda; Malignant tumor; skin neoplasms; CDKN2 gene; Anatomic pathology; Pulmonata; Agglutinin; Malignant melanoma; biological markers; Skin; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 0007-0963; 1365-2133
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2006.07581.x

Summary Background  The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing worldwide and patients are being diagnosed earlier with thinner primary lesions. Most patients with very thin melanoma (Breslow thickness < 0·76 mm) are cured by surgery but 2–18% relapse locally or with distant metastases. Objectives  The objective of this study was to establish potential new prognostic markers in very thin melanoma. Methods  We identified a group of subjects with relapsing very thin primary cutaneous melanoma and a matched control group who had not relapsed. We investigated the expression of p16, Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), CD95 and CD95 ligand (CD95L) by immunohistochemistry on paraffin‐embedded tissue sections from the subject group, their subsequent metastases and the control group. Results  Reduced p16 expression was significantly associated with relapse in very thin melanoma (P = 0·0129). Loss of p16 expression was also found in 76% of metastases. There was no significant association between HPA, CD95 or CD95L expression and subsequent relapse. Conclusions  This work is the first to show a significant loss of p16 in relapsing very thin melanoma.