Immunomarking of the MCM2 protein enables atypical nevi and melanoma to be differentiated

Resumen de artículo dedicado a: Immunomarking of the MCM2 protein enables atypical nevi and melanoma to be differentiated

MCM (MiniChromosome Maintenance) proteins are the proteins involved in the replication phenomena of DNA and can only be detected with immunohistochemistry in the nuclei of cells in the proliferation phase. Among them, the MCM2 protein is overexpressed in several cancerous tumours (mammary adenocarcinoma, pulmonary carcinoma and prostate carcinoma), where it is an independent prognostic factor. By studying, for the first time, the expression of the MCM2 protein in cutaneous melanoma and cutaneous metastasis of melanoma (49 and 41 cells per area respectively), it could be shown that MCM2 was significantly overexpressed in cutaneous melanoma and the cutaneous metastasis of melanoma in relation to benign nevi and atypical nevi (1 and 6 cells per area respectively). In the future, marking of the MCM2 protein could therefore be used to make a differential diagnosis between atypoical nevi and melanoma, when this cannot be concluded using histological tests.

Boyd AS et al. Minichromosome maintenance protein expression in benign nevi, dysplastic nevi, melanoma, and cutaneous melanoma metastases.

J Am Acad Dermatol 2008 ; 58 :750-4