title: Distribution of muscarinic receptor subtype M3 in melanomas and their metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mR) are involved in the regulation of cancer cell motility and cancer progression. mR have been shown in melanoma cell lines and cryostat sections of melanomas. To substantiate the experimental data, here the correlation of mR-expression with invasive growth was studied on the cellular level by comparison with HMB-45 immunoreactivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  mR were detected by a M3 subtype-specific polyclonal antibody in normal skin, benign compound nevi, primary melanomas [nodular type, nodular malignant melanoma (NMM)] and metastases, and were compared with HMB-45 staining in parallel paraffin sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The general staining pattern of anti-M3 and HMB-45 was similar with accentuation of zones with infiltrative growth. On the cellular level, only a subpopulation of the HMB-45 positive melanoma cells expressed mR. Immunoreactivity was encountered in 3 of 15 nevi, in 9 of 14 NMM and in 10 of 14 melanoma metastases. Polymorphonuclear granulocytes also exhibited strong reactivity for anti-M3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mR-expression is associated with invasive migration of melanomas.
authors.affiliation: Section of Dermatologic Oncology, Department of Dermatology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. oppitz@anatom.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oppitz
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Drews
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018330:Nevus, Intradermal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D043587:Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D043587:Receptor, Muscarinic M3