Prognostic significance of P53 antigen in malignant melanoma and nevüs

We examined 50 melanocytic tumour specimens vvhich obtained by exicion of the cutaneous tumours. We used P53 immunostaining method. Twenty-five of them had been diaghosed as malignant melanoma and remainders diagnosed as cutaneous nevus. The numbers of Ps3(+) cells per 1000 melenocytic celi used the index of P53 exp- ression. A statistically significant difference was found betvveen the malignant melanoma and nevus cells in res- pect to the malignant melanoma and nevus cells in respect to the index of P53 expression (p=1,673x10~18; p<0,05). Additionally, the higher P53 expersison indexes vvere found in the acral lentigenous and nodular me­ lanoma specimens. İt is well known that such malignant melanoma types have higher metastase rates and prog- ress more quickly compared to the other malignant melanoma types. The P53 expression indexes in the me­ lanom as vvhich invased reticular dermiş vvere found to be higher than the mean value obtained for the vvhole melanoma specimens in this study.