AGE-RELATED PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY IN DERMAL MELANOCYTIC NEVI DETECTED BY PCNA CYCLIN EXPRESSION

A monoclonal antibody was used to demonstrate proliferating cell nucle ar antigen in routine, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sectio ns of dermal melanocytic naevi, including naevus naevocellularis parti m lipomatodes, in different age-groups. The labelling indices of the m elanocytic naevus cells were < 1% of those in the overlying epidermal basal cells, and showed a statistically significant decrease with agei ng, and also in naevus naevocellularis partim lipomatodes, whereas the indices of the basal cells in the overlying interfollicular epidermis did not show any age-related changes.