BETA-1 INTEGRIN EXPRESSION - A MARKER OF LYMPHATIC METASTASES IN CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

Background: Experimental evidence suggests that integrins are key regu lators of the development of melanoma metastases, influencing both the likelihood and site of metastases. Whereas effective treatment of cut aneous melanoma remains surgical, elective lymph node dissection (ELND ) is controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between integrin expression by a given primary melanoma a nd occult regional lymph node metastases. Materials and methods: We st udied beta 1 integrin expression, by quantitative immunohistochemistry using an image analyzer, in the primary melanomas of 90 ELND patients . Results: beta 1 integrin was expressed in greater than or equal to 1 0% of the primary tumor in 92% of cases with lymph node involvement ve rsus 9% of node negative cases (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our data demo nstrate that quantitative immunohistochemistry for beta 1 integrin exp ression in primary melanomas can identify patients likely to have occu lt lymph node metastasis. This suggests that beta 1 integrins play a r ole in the lymphatic dissemination of cutaneous melanoma.