Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
 69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In 4-8% of all melanoma patients, a lymph node metastasis develops as the first manifestation of the disease, whereas a primary lesion cannot be found. The latter may have been surgically removed already years ago, may be located at an occult place or - as it is especially characteristic for melanoma - may have vanished spontaneously due to a specific immunological mechanism. Such spontaneous tumour regression, which, for instance, becomes recognisable by the development of a halonaevus or an asymmetrical vitiligo, does not imply an improvement of the individual prognosis. However, present knowledge suggests that in patients with unknown primary lesion neither an adjuvant chemotherapy nor immunotherapy can be recommended, if the metastasis has been surgically removed completely. Additional radiotherapy does also not appear to be indicated. Only a short-interval follow-up remains important.
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PMID:[Melanoma metastasis in the neck region with unknown primary tumor]. 670 Mar 27

A halo nevus of the ocular fundus is described in a patient with vitiligo and history of malignant melanoma of the calf excised six years previously. The significance of halo nevi is discussed.
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PMID:Choroidal halo nevus occurring in a patient with vitiligo. 674 Apr 87

In a case-control study, 287 women with malignant melanoma were compared with 574 age-matched controls. Red hair colour at age 5 years was associated with a tripling of risk [relative risk (RR) = 3.0], blonde hair with a 60% increase (RR = 1.6) and fair skin with a doubling (RR = 2.1). Women with melanoma also reported that they tended to burn (RR = 1.4) and to freckle (RR = 1.9) after exposure to sunlight. Since fair skin, red hair, and the tendency to burn or freckle after exposure to sunlight all cluster in the same individuals, the extent to which each of these factors had an independent influence on susceptibility to melanoma was investigated. Hair colour, especially red hair, proved to be the major determinant, followed by skin colour. The reporting of above average numbers of naevi on the body was as strong a predictor of melanoma as was red hair colour (RR = 3.4). A history of psoriasis was also more common in cases than controls (RR = 3.0) as was a history of vitiligo (RR = 1.8). A history of acne appeared to be protective (RR = 0.4) as did a history suggestive of chloasma (RR = 0.6) and premature greying of the hair (RR = 0.6). These relationships were irrespective of hair and skin colour.
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PMID:Cutaneous factors related to the risk of malignant melanoma. 687 Oct 96

We report about two patients with malignant melanoma, who developed vitiligo at a site distant from the primary melanoma after surgery and during consecutive immunotherapy. In two patients a leucoderma was observed within the area, where metastatic lymphnodes had been excised, as also reported in the literature. These depigmentations may be due to an immunologic defense mechanism, but there is no evidence, if they represent a favourable sign in the course of malignant melanoma.
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PMID:[Malignant melanoma, leukoderma and vitiligo]. 699 65

The prevalence of antibodies to melanocytes was determined by an immunofluorescence complement fixation technique in 294 patients with vitiligo, other pigmentary disorders, and unrelated dermatoses. Antimelanocyte antibodies were present in the sera of five (29%) of 17 patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Only two of the five patients with antibodies had vitiligo. No antibodies to melanocytes were found in the sera of 31 patients with common vitiligo or of 38 patients with vitiligo associated with autoimmune diseases or melanoma. Nor were antibodies to melanocytes found in 129 patients with other diseases of pigment-producing cells or in a control group of 79 patients with nonpigmentary dermatoses. These results suggest that complement fixing antibodies to melanocytes are associated wih chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis but are not involved in the pathogenesis of common vitiligo.
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PMID:Antibodies to melanocytes. Occurrence in patients with vitiligo and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. 731 30

A 30-year-old white male developed cutaneous patches of depigmentation which were treated with Trioxsalen ingested before daily sunbathing. A darkly pigmented lesion which appeared three weeks later on his back was widely excised and classified as a low-grade malignancy. Although the treatment of vitiligo with plants containing photodynamically active compounds dates back as far as 1400 BC, the modern period of research began only in the 1930's leading to the development of oral psoralens, a coumarin derivative. In early tests, patients showed increased sunlight tolerance and repigmentation of vitiliginous areas. Although some patients have developed uveitis and vitiligo while being treated for melanoma, previous published reports deny any cutaneous malignancy arising during drug therapy of vitiligo. The associations between vitiligo and melanoma are discussed. The possible causative role of Trioxsalen in etiology of the case presented is discussed.
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PMID:Case report: malignant melanoma arising during drug therapy for vitiligo. 737 65

The immune system can recognize differentiation antigens that are selectively expressed on malignant cells and their normal cell counterparts. However, it is uncertain whether immunity to differentiation antigens can effectively lead to tumor rejection. The mouse brown locus protein, gp75 or tyrosinase-related protein 1, is a melanocyte differentiation antigen expressed by melanomas and normal melanocytes. The gp75 antigen is recognized by autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells in persons with melanoma. To model autoimmunity against a melanocyte differentiation antigen, mouse antibodies against gp75 were passively transferred into tumor-bearing mice. Passive immunization with a mouse monoclonal antibody against gp75 induced protection and rejection of both subcutaneous tumors and lung metastases in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, including established tumors. Passive immunity produced coat color alterations but only in regenerating hairs. This system provides a model for autoimmune vitiligo and shows that immune responses to melanocyte differentiation antigens can influence mouse coat color. Immune recognition of a melanocyte differentiation antigen can reject tumors, providing a basis for targeting tissue autoantigens expressed on cancer.
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PMID:Implicating a role for immune recognition of self in tumor rejection: passive immunization against the brown locus protein. 759 33

There is a long-standing controversy over whether melanocytes in vitiligo lesions are actually lost or are still present but inactivated. Resolving this matter is essential for understanding the underlying pathology and for the development of treatment. Standard methods of detecting melanocytes are based on active melanin synthesis. However, it is possible that inactive melanocytes remain in the lesions. There are no methods presently available to detect such dormant melanocytes. Using a panel of one polyclonal and 17 monoclonal antibodies directed against melanocytic cells (largely selected by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Melanoma Group for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes), we investigated the absence or inactivation of melanocytes in vitiligo by immunohistochemistry. Results using this panel of antibodies on frozen skin sections suggest that melanocytes are indeed absent in the lesions. However, in epidermal split-skin preparations, residual staining was occasionally observed. To determine whether the staining obtained was due to degenerated melanocytes, confocal laser scanning microscopy was used. Immunofluorescent staining using the antibody NKI-beteb confirmed this to be the case. The results presented here strongly suggest that melanocytes are indeed lost in vitiligo lesions.
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PMID:Presence or absence of melanocytes in vitiligo lesions: an immunohistochemical investigation. 768 27

Sinclair swine provide a unique model for studying mechanisms of tumor regression because they are born with melanomas that spontaneously regress approximately 10 weeks after birth. To examine whether an antitumor immune response is present in these animals, and, if so, to study its relation to tumor regression, 38 sera specimens collected at different times from 13 swine born with melanomas were tested for melanoma antibodies by immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE analysis of 125I labelled swine melanoma macromolecules. Antibodies to melanoma were present in 13 (100%) of the swine versus 1 of 3 control swine. The antibodies were directed to antigens of approximately 45, 68-75, or 100 kDa. These antigens were also expressed on human melanomas and normal melanocytes but on only one of five unrelated tumors. The incidence and level of these antibodies increased with time. Antibodies to the 45, 68-75, and 100 kDa antigens were present in 36%, 55%, and 9%, respectively, of sera collected prior to 7 weeks of age, but in 80%, 100%, and 37% of sera collected between 7 and 20 weeks (P < 0.05). The rise in melanoma antibodies usually preceded or appeared together with tumor regression and loss of pigmentation. These findings indicate that Sinclair swine with melanomas have antibodies to antigens preferentially expressed on pigment cells, and support the hypothesis that the regression phenomenon and the vitiligo-like skin depigmentation result from immune responses to common antigens shared by normal and malignant swine pigment cells.
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PMID:Antimelanoma antibodies in swine with spontaneously regressing melanoma. 779 56

Sinclair swine display cutaneous melanoma lesions and develop a generalized depigmentation subsequent to tumor regression. Sinclair swine represent a valuable animal model to study the factors influencing the development of melanoma and also the factors which lead to the development of vitiligo. Therefore, information obtained in studies of Sinclair swine should facilitate our understanding of the mechanisms by which melanoma and vitiligo develop and provide us with possible therapeutic treatments for these human diseases.
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PMID:Sinclair miniature swine: an animal model of human melanoma. 785 49


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