Ann Dermatol.  2018 Oct;30(5):556-561. 10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.556.

Sensitivity and Usefulness of VE1 Immunohistochemical Staining in Acral Melanomas with BRAF Mutation

• Suh MS
• Choi YD
• Lee JB
• Lee SC
• Won YH
• Yun SJ

• KMID: 2419745
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.556

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Acral melanomas are known to have a low frequency of BRAF mutation, in contrary to higher KIT mutation. Recently, VE1 immunostaining was reported to have a good correlation with BRAF mutation status.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological features of BRAF-mutated acral melanomas and validate the correlation of the VE1 immunohistochemical stains in those cases.
METHODS
The clinical features (age, sex, anatomical site), and histopathological characteristics of 41 patients with acral melanoma were evaluated. We performed a next-generation sequencing to detect BRAF mutation status. We also determined the correlation of VE1 immunohistochemical staining with BRAF mutation status.
RESULTS
Among 19 acral melanomas with BRAF mutation, common histopathological subtype was acral lentiginous melanoma (8/19, 42%) and nodular melanoma (8/19, 42%) and superficial spreading melanoma (3/19, 16%) followed. VE1 immunostaining results were positive in all 15 cases with BRAF V600E mutation (sensitivity 100%), and negative in 4 cases of BRAF non-V600E mutation. However, VE1 immunostaining was negative in all 22 patients with BRAF wild-type.
CONCLUSION
VE1 immunostaining had a good correlation with BRAF V600E mutation status.

Keyword

Acral melanoma; BRAF V600E; Mutation; VE1 immunohistochemistry

MeSH Terms

Coloring Agents
Humans
Melanoma*
Coloring Agents

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Clinicopathological features of acral melanomas with BRAF V600E mutation. Acral melanomas (A) on the toe, (B) composed of pagetoid scatter and nests of epithelioid cells (H&E, ×100), and (C) on the finger, (D) showing heavily pigmented epithelioid cells (H&E, ×100).

• 

  Fig. 2 VE1 immunohistochemical staining with acral melanomas with BRAF mutation. (A) Negative for VE1 immunostain in a case with BRAF wild-type (Grade 0, ×100). (B) Weak positive staining case with BRAF V600E mutation (Grade 1+, ×100). (C) Moderate positive staining case with BRAF V600E mutation (Grade 2+, ×100). (D) Strong positive staining case with BRAF V600E mutation (Grade 3+, ×100).

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