Monoclonal Antibody (AFH1) Immunoreactive on Morphologically Abnormal Basal Melanocytes Within Dysplastic Nevi, Nevocellular Nevus Nests, and Melanoma

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 90; no. 4; pp. 452 - 458
• Main Authors: Aronson, Peter J., Ito, Kaoru, Fukaya, Toru, Hashimoto, Ken, Mehregan, Amir H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01-04-1988; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Dermatology; Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome - diagnosis; Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome - immunology; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Medical sciences; Melanocytes - immunology; Melanoma - immunology; Melanoma - pathology; Mice; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Human; Dysplastic nevus; Skin disease; Immunoreactive form; Melanocyte; Malignant melanoma; Tumor; Skin; Monoclonal antibody; Differential diagnostic; Melanocytic nevus; Immunological method
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12460896

The mouse monoclonal antibody AFH1 was produced using formalin-fixed, sham paraffin-embedded human melanoma cell culture line A375 as immunogen. Reactivity of this antibody was assessed by immunohistochemical techniques against formalin- or acid alcohol-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue as well as formalin- or acid alcohol-fixed unembedded lesions. Ninety-seven nevomelanocytic lesions, neurofibromas, epithelial lesions, and a plasmacellular infiltrate were evaluated. AFH1 was immunoreactive on 54 of 55 nevocytic lesions (98.2%), 15 of 16 primary melanomas (93.7%), a lentigo maligna, and nests in 21 of 21 dysplastic nevi (100%). Of 100 consecutive basal melanocytes of intraepidermal melanoma cells counted in each lesion, mean AFHI immunoreactivity for nonnested basal melanocytes in nevocellular nevi was 3.8%; for dysplastic nevi, 13.8%; and for intraepidermal melanoma cells, 78.0%. When nonnested basal melanocytes were subdivided into cytologically normal and abnormal cell groups, AFH1 immunoreactivity was 9.4% and 72.6%, respectively. AFH1 recognition of the lentiginous portion of dysplastic nevi corresponds statistically to the appearance of abnormal melanocyte cytology, nest formation, or both. Using 50% immunoreactive nonnested melanocytes as the criterion, AFH1 seems to distinguish primary melanoma from dysplastic nevi with a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 95.8%.