title: Cdc7 expression in melanomas, Spitz tumors and melanocytic nevi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cdc7 is a serine-threonine kinase required for initiation of DNA replication that may play a role in the development and progression of melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue microarrays containing 40 melanomas, 40 Spitz tumors and 30 nevi were constructed. Staining for Cdc7 was scored semiquantitatively according to intensity and extent, and the values were converted into composite scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nodular melanomas, atypical Spitz tumors and superficial spreading melanomas had the highest scores (nodular melanomas, 3.67; atypical Spitz tumors, 2.78 and superficial spreading melanomas, 2.44). Typical Spitz nevi, dysplastic nevi and ordinary nevi had the lowest scores. Cdc7 expression in melanomas differed significantly from non-Spitz nevi (p < 0.001). The difference was also significant when invasive melanomas were compared with dysplastic nevi (p < 0.005) and when invasive melanomas were compared with non-atypical Spitz nevi (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between invasive melanomas and atypical Spitz tumors (p = 0.69) or between dysplastic nevi and ordinary nevi (p = 0.73).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cdc7 expression differs significantly among cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms and can be evaluated by routine immunohistochemical methods. The results suggest that differences in Cdc7 expression may account for some of the differences between malignant melanomas and benign melanocytic nevi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. lclarke@hmc.psu.edu
authors.forename: Loren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fountaine
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bruggeman
authors.forename: Jennie T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Mauger
authors.forename: Klaus F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Helm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C068619:CDC7 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases