BACKGROUND: Nestin is one of the intermediate filaments that are expressed in proliferating neural progenitor cells during development of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system. Postnatal re-expression of the protein occurs mainly under pathological conditions, including injury and neoplasia. In this study, nestin expression was detected in both benign and malignant melanocytic skin lesions and its diagnostic relevance was then evaluated. METHODS: Altogether 139 bioptic tissue samples consisting of 42 nodular melanomas, 32 superficial spreading melanomas, 12 metastatic melanomas, 10 dysplastic nevi and 43 common melanocytic intradermal and dermoepidermal nevi were analysed using indirect immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: We demonstrated that nestin immunostaining was significantly increased in melanomas where it correlated with more advanced stages of the disease. CONCLUSION: We conclude that expression of the intermediate filament protein nestin might be an indicator of tumor dedifferentiation and more aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, we suggest that nestin might be a relevant marker of tumorous and non-tumorous angiogenesis.

• MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melanom krevní zásobení   metabolismus   MeSH
• nádorové biomarkery analýza   MeSH
• nádory kůže krevní zásobení   metabolismus   MeSH
• nestin MeSH
• patologická angiogeneze metabolismus   MeSH
• pigmentový névus krevní zásobení   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny intermediálních filament biosyntéza   MeSH
• proteiny nervové tkáně biosyntéza   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• nádorové biomarkery MeSH
• NES protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• nestin MeSH
• proteiny intermediálních filament MeSH
• proteiny nervové tkáně MeSH