title: Immunohistochemical determination of HER-2/neu, c-Kit (CD117), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression in malignant melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and evaluate the possible prognostic value of the molecular targets in malignant melanoma, we studied the overexpression of HER-2/neu, c-Kit, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in this patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overexpression of HER-2/neu, c-Kit, and VEGF was evaluated using immunohistochemical assays in 202 archival tissue specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only two patients (0.9%) revealed HER-2/neu overexpression, whereas 46 (22.8%) revealed c-Kit and 42 (20.8%) specimens showed VEGF overexpression. Multivariate analysis performed did not show a significant difference in survival between c-Kit-positive and c-Kit-negative groups (P = 0.36) and VEGF-positive and VEGF-negative groups (P = 0.25). Interestingly, c-Kit was more likely to be overexpressed in the superficial spreading type and VEGF was overexpressed preferentially in the amelanotic melanoma type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HER-2/neu has no role in melanogenesis. Both c-Kit (expressed in superficial spreading disease) and VEGF (expressed in amelanotic melanoma) may have significant therapeutic implications as molecular targets, which warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, 58102, USA. apotti@medicine.nodak.edu
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Potti
authors.forename: Nauman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moazzam
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langness
authors.forename: Kaley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sholes
authors.forename: Ketki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tendulkar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kargas
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008545:Melanoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A