Comparison of MART-1 frozen sections to permanent sections using a rapid 19-minute protocol.
BACKGROUND
The use of melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells (MART-1) immunostain has been proposed as a useful adjunct to overcome the inherent difficulties in the use of frozen sections during Mohs surgery for the treatment of melanoma, but no studies have compared MART-1 frozen sections with MART-1 permanent sections. Current MART-1 1-hour protocols add significant time to the procedure.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a significant difference between frozen and permanent MART-1 immunostained sections using a rapid 19-minute protocol.


METHODS
Frozen and permanent sections stained with MART-1 were made from dog-ears excised during 25 reconstructions. A rapid 19-minute protocol was used to stain the frozen tissue. The sections were examined blinded, and statistical analysis was performed to analyze the data.


RESULTS
No significant difference was found in number of keratinocytes, nuclear diameter of keratinocytes, number of melanocytes, melanocytic nuclear diameter, confluence, pagetoid spread, melanocytic nesting, or atypical melanocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
The 19-minute protocol is a rapid and effective MART-1 immunostain. Frozen sections stained with MART-1 provide information equivalent to that obtained from MART-1 stained permanent sections. Mohs surgeons using MART-1 can feel confident that they have the same information as they would have obtained using permanent sections using the slow Mohs method.
Cherpelis
Basil S
BS
University of South Florida, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Tampa, Florida, USA. bcherpel@health.usf.edu
Moore
Richard
R
Ladd
Sharron
S
Chen
Ren
R
Glass
L Frank
LF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018327:Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D058965:MART-1 Antigen; C548667:MLANA protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins