Sophia A Ma1, Conor P O'Day2, Tzvete Dentchev2, Junko Takeshita2,3, Todd W Ridky2, John T Seykora1,2, Emily Y Chu1,2. 1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2. Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3. Department of Biostatistics Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Accurate classification of spitzoid melanocytic lesions is difficult due to overlapping clinical and histopathologic features between Spitz nevi, atypical Spitz tumors (ASTs), and spitzoid melanomas. Expression of p16 (CDKN2A) has been used as a marker of spitzoid lesions. However, its expression may be variable. p15 is a tumor suppressor encoded by CDKN2B, loss of which has been recently shown to promote transition from nevus to melanoma. We sought to determine whether p15 is a useful immunohistochemical marker to distinguish Spitz nevi from spitzoid melanomas and to compare p15 and p16 staining in this population. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for p15 and p16 was performed on Spitz nevi (n = 19), ASTs (n = 41), and spitzoid melanomas (n = 17). Immunoexpression was categorized by a four-tiered system: 0 (negative), 1+ (weak), 2+ (moderate), 3+ (strong). RESULTS: 3+/strong p15 staining was observed in 68.4% of Spitz nevi, 34.2% of ASTs, and 17.7% of spitzoid melanomas. By contrast, we observed 3+ p16 staining in roughly equivalent percentages of Spitz nevi (57.9%), ASTs (56.1%), and spitzoid melanomas (58.8%). CONCLUSION: These data illustrate that p15 may be more useful than p16 as a biomarker to help distinguish benign from malignant spitzoid lesions.
BACKGROUND: Accurate classification of spitzoid melanocytic lesions is difficult due to overlapping clinical and histopathologic features between Spitz nevi, atypical Spitz tumors (ASTs), and spitzoid melanomas. Expression of p16 (CDKN2A) has been used as a marker of spitzoid lesions. However, its expression may be variable. p15 is a tumor suppressor encoded by CDKN2B, loss of which has been recently shown to promote transition from nevus to melanoma. We sought to determine whether p15 is a useful immunohistochemical marker to distinguish Spitz nevi from spitzoid melanomas and to compare p15 and p16 staining in this population. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for p15 and p16 was performed on Spitz nevi (n = 19), ASTs (n = 41), and spitzoid melanomas (n = 17). Immunoexpression was categorized by a four-tiered system: 0 (negative), 1+ (weak), 2+ (moderate), 3+ (strong). RESULTS: 3+/strong p15 staining was observed in 68.4% of Spitz nevi, 34.2% of ASTs, and 17.7% of spitzoid melanomas. By contrast, we observed 3+ p16 staining in roughly equivalent percentages of Spitz nevi (57.9%), ASTs (56.1%), and spitzoid melanomas (58.8%). CONCLUSION: These data illustrate that p15 may be more useful than p16 as a biomarker to help distinguish benign from malignant spitzoid lesions.
Authors: Kerry A Crotty; Richard A Scolyer; LingXiLawrence Li; A Allan Palmer; Lixiang Wang; Stanley W McCarthy Journal: Pathology Date: 2002-02 Impact factor: 5.306
Authors: Michael T Barrett; Alicia Scheffer; Amir Ben-Dor; Nick Sampas; Doron Lipson; Robert Kincaid; Peter Tsang; Bo Curry; Kristin Baird; Paul S Meltzer; Zohar Yakhini; Laurakay Bruhn; Stephen Laderman Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2004-12-10 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: R L Barnhill; Z B Argenyi; L From; L F Glass; J C Maize; M C Mihm; M S Rabkin; S G Ronan; W L White; M Piepkorn Journal: Hum Pathol Date: 1999-05 Impact factor: 3.466
Authors: Christina Stefanaki; Kalliopi Stefanaki; Christina Antoniou; Theodoros Argyrakos; Amalia Patereli; Alexander Stratigos; Andreas Katsambas Journal: J Am Acad Dermatol Date: 2007-05 Impact factor: 11.527
Authors: Sabela Paradela; Eduardo Fonseca; Salvador Pita; Sara M Kantrow; Viktor N Goncharuk; Hafeez Diwan; Victor G Prieto Journal: J Cutan Pathol Date: 2008-11-05 Impact factor: 1.587
Authors: Jeff D Harvell; Sabine Kohler; Shirley Zhu; Tina Hernandez-Boussard; Jonathan R Pollack; Matt van de Rijn Journal: Diagn Mol Pathol Date: 2004-03