Immunohistochemical BRAF V600E Expression and Intratumor BRAF V600E Heterogeneity in Acral Melanoma: Implication in Melanoma-Specific Survival.

ABSTRACT: Acral melanoma, a distinct form of cutaneous melanoma originating in the glabrous skin of the palms, soles, and nail beds, has a different genetic background from other subtypes of cutaneous melanoma. The roles of oncogenic BRAF mutations of acral melanoma in pathogenesis and patient outcomes have not been fully elucidated. We retrieved a total of 112 patients with primary acral melanoma and checked their BRAF V600E status using immunohistochemical staining of VE1 antibody. Among these cases, 21 acral melanoma samples (18.8%) showed positive BRAF V600E staining, and of those, 11 samples (9.8%) showed a heterogeneous staining pattern, with a mixture of VE1-positive and VE1-negative cells. BRAF V600E positivity was significantly associated with thicker melanoma (p = 0.0015). There was no sig

SUBMITTER: Ito T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7141227 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature