Monoclonal antibody (AFH1) immunoreactive on morphologically abnormal basal melanocytes within dysplastic nevi, nevocellular nevus nests, and melanoma.
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 AFH1 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%.
Aronson
P J
PJ
Department of Dermatology and Syphilology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201.
Ito
K
K
Fukaya
T
T
Hashimoto
K
K
Mehregan
A H
AH
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D004416:Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal