title: Adipophilin expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lipogenic pathway is upregulated in cancer cells, including melanomas. However, the pathological significance of cellular lipids in melanocytic lesions has yet to be determined. In this study, we evaluated intracytoplasmic lipid droplets in melanocytic nevi (MNs) and malignant melanomas via immunohistochemical analysis of adipophilin (ADP), which coats lipid droplets.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred primary cutaneous melanocytic lesions [33 MNs, 17 melanomas in situ (MIS), and 50 invasive melanomas (IMs)] were immunostained for ADP. The intensity score (IS) and proportion score (PS) of ADP staining in each case was recorded semiquantitatively on a scale of 0 to 3+.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High ADP expression (IS2/3+ and PS2/3+) was observed in 27 primary cutaneous melanocytic lesions that consisted of 23 IMs, three MISs, and one MN. Consequently, high ADP expression was associated with malignancy (38.8% vs. 3.0%; p < 0.0001). Among the IMs, high ADP expression was more prevalent in pT3/4 than pT1/2 (63.3% vs. 23.8%; p = 0.01) and Stage 3/4 than Stage 1/2 (76.9% vs. 36.8%; p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the melanocytic lesions with high ADP expression were malignant melanomas in our cohort. Therefore, ADP expression may serve as a sensitive diagnostic marker for malignant melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ibu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warigaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiyoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fukumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis; D000070780:Perilipin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000602982:PLIN2 protein, human; D000070780:Perilipin-2
keywords: adipophilin; immunohistochemical analysis; malignant melanoma; melanocytic nevus