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Short Communications |


From the Department of Biochemistry,*
University of
Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; the Department of
Pathology,
Laboratory of Histo- and
Cytochemistry, University Hospitals, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven,
Leuven, Belgium; the Department of Pathology,
University Hospital Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and Roche
Diagnostics,§
Penzberg, Germany
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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Recently, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM)/CD166 was shown by us to be expressed in metastatic human melanoma cell lines, whereas it was absent in nonmetastasizing cell lines.9 ALCAM is a member of the immunoglobulin super family and is a type 1 transmembrane protein. The extracellular part is composed of five immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains: two aminoterminal V-type domains followed by three C-type domains. ALCAM can mediate homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell interactions.9,10 It was first identified as a ligand for CD6, a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily,11 and it is expressed on subsets of activated leukocytes, fibroblasts, and epithelial and neural cells.10,12 In addition to the heterophilic ALCAM-CD6 interactions,10 homophilic ALCAM-ALCAM interactions were observed in CD6-negative human melanoma cell lines, and ALCAM expression correlated with the ability to form clusters of cells.9 Here we extend the association of ALCAM expression with advanced neoplastic progression stages of human melanoma cell lines to human primary MM. Immunohistochemistry on a large series of fresh human melanocytic lesions revealed an increased expression with MM progression. We propose that ALCAM represents a new molecular marker for the progression of primary human melanoma, with a possible prognostic value.
| Materials and Methods |
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The 121 biopsies used in this study were collected after surgical removal of pigmented skin lesions for diagnostic purposes. They comprised 38 benign lesions (ie, 30 nevocellular nevi, 3 Spitz nevi, 2 ordinary nevi, and 1 cellular blue nevus and 2 cases of benign lentigo), 55 MMs, and 28 MM metastases. The primary MMs included 38 superficial spreading MMs (8 Clark level I, 9 Clark level II, 11 Clark level III, 10 Clark level IV), 4 lentigo MMs (2 Clark level I, 2 Clark level III), 6 acrolentiginous MMs (3 Clark level IV, 3 Clark level V), and 7 nodular MMs (6 Clark level IV, 1 Clark level V). The MM metastases were excised from the skin (11 cases) or lymph node (17 cases). All biopsies were received fresh, and representative parts were frozen in liquid nitrogen-cooled isopentane.
Immunohistochemistry
Five-µm frozen sections were air-dried, fixed for 10 minutes in absolute acetone, and stained with a three-step avidin-biotin complex method, using anti-ALCAM/CD166 antibody (clone 18; Antigenix America Inc., NY) as primary reagent at a final concentration of 10 µg/ml. The biotinylated rabbit-anti-mouse Ig and avidin-biotin complex were purchased from Dako (Glostrup, Denmark). All incubations were carried out at room temperature for 30 minutes and followed by three washes in phosphate-buffered saline. The reaction product was visualized with aminoethylcarbazole as a substrate and hydrogen peroxide; the brightly red-stained immunoreactive sites could easily be distinguished from melanin pigment. The sections were briefly counterstained with Harris hematoxylin and mounted with glycerin jelly.
Statistical Analysis
The Fishers exact test for small sample numbers was used for statistical analysis.
| Results |
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Metastatic lesions showed a decreased incidence in ALCAM
immunoreactivity, although this is not significantly different from
Clark level V lesions (P > 0.05). Only 7 of the
17 lymph node metastases tested showed ALCAM expression (Table 1
,
Figure 1i
). Membranous immunoreactivity occurred in four of these. In
addition to clusters of positive cells, immunoreactivity was observed
in scattered neoplastic cells in 4 of the 28 metastatic lesions (Figure 1k)
.
While in primary MMs the number of positive cells rarely exceeded 10%, the overall positivity increased over 50% of all tumor cells in some lymph node metastases. Of 3 ALCAM-negative lymph node metastases, the primary lesions were also available for study; only one of these primary Clark IV MMs showed weak cytoplasmic expression in less than 5% of the tumor cells. Six of the 11 cutaneous metastases tested exhibited ALCAM expression in less than 10% of the cells. Of these, two lesions showed unequivocal membranous expression. No statistical differences were observed between ALCAM expression in cutaneous and lymph node metastases (P > 0.05).
All controls were invariably negative and included 1) the replacement
of the primary IgG1 antibody by an arbitrary antibody of similar
isotype, 2) the use of chromogen alone, and 3) preincubation of
anti-ALCAM antibody with an excess of recombinant ALCAM (Figure 1j)
.
Although tumor cells can be distinguished from infiltrate cells on a
morphological basis, we wanted to exclude that scattered singular
ALCAM-positive cells corresponded to tumor-infiltrating leukocytes.
Therefore, serial frozen sections from one Clark V MM and from four
metastases showing scattered ALCAM immunoreactivity were stained for
ALCAM and CD45, respectively. Both markers displayed differential
tissue distribution, and no overlapping immunoreactivity was evident
(results not shown).
| Discussion |
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This study is the first to present data with respect to ALCAM
expression during melanocytic tumor progression. By using
immunohistochemistry on a large series of freshly frozen benign and
malignant melanocytic cell lesions, ALCAM expression was observed in
the VGP of MMs, where it significantly increased with more advanced
Clark levels of tumor invasion and correlated with tumor thickness
(Table 1)
. Our data also showed that ALCAM was rarely expressed in
benign nevi. Only a cellular blue nevus showed genuine membranous
expression of ALCAM. Previous studies have shown that the pigment cells
forming cellular blue nevi express various molecules that are normally
found on MMs.20
The transition from the RGP to the VGP is a biologically and clinically critical step because VGP melanomas have the competence to invade the dermis and subsequently metastasize, whereas RGP melanomas do not have this capacity.21 ALCAM expression occurred exclusively in the VGP and not in the overlying RGP of primary MMs, indicating de novo expression of ALCAM in the course of tumor progression and suggesting that ALCAM plays an important role in melanoma cell invasion and melanoma progression. ALCAM expression was observed less frequently in melanoma metastases as compared with advanced primary MMs. This finding may be explained by the hypothesis that ALCAM function is indispensable for melanoma cells to invade locally and to gain access to metastatic routes but is dispensable after arrival at the secondary site.
In MM of the human skin, a selective expression profile and association
with tumor thickness are not unique. Particularly, some integrins have
been shown to play an important role in the invasiveness of various
neoplasms.22-24
In MM, the integrin ß3 subunit is also
associated with tumor thickness and with the ability to invade and
metastasize.25
In analogy to ALCAM, the expression of the
ß3 subunit of the vitronectin receptor (
vß3) is
exclusively restricted to neoplastic cells in the VGP and in metastatic
melanoma.26
Furthermore, the expression profiles of
intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and MUC18 also correlate with
vertical tumor thickness.27,28
ALCAM expression was not observed in all neoplastic cells of the VGP
(Table 1)
. In addition to tumor heterogeneity, the focal expression of
ALCAM in MMs may be due to its transient nature. T cells and
macrophages express ALCAM on activation with phorbol
esters10
and macrophage colony-stimulating
factor,29
respectively. Although a transient ALCAM
expression is observed neither in human melanoma cell lines in
vitro nor in their derived xenografts (unpublished data),
expression of ALCAM on MM cells in vivo may represent a
transient phenomenon, related to their activation status. The increase
in ALCAM expression during the primary tumor progression and subsequent
loss of expression in the melanoma metastasis further favors the
concept of a mechanism that can regulate ALCAM expression. The nature
of the activating stimulus is currently unknown, but appears to affect
single neoplastic cells because neighboring cells are often negative.
This study provides strong evidence that ALCAM expression is a distinguishing feature of the invasive component of primary melanoma and, therefore, a new neoplastic progression marker. The implicit suggestion that ALCAM is involved in mobility and/or growth of subpopulations of cells is also supported by its selective expression in other cell types in the skin, such as Langerhans cells, hair follicles, and nerve ends. Future research must therefore be aimed at answering to what extent ALCAM expression would be indispensable for cell mobility and/or growth of these subpopulations.
| Acknowledgements |
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| Footnotes |
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Accepted for publication November 14, 1999.
| References |
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(v)ß3 integrin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in cutaneous malignant melanoma lesions. Cancer Res 1997, 57:1554-1560This article has been cited by other articles:
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D. Mezzanzanica, M. Fabbi, M. Bagnoli, S. Staurengo, M. Losa, E. Balladore, P. Alberti, L. Lusa, A. Ditto, S. Ferrini, et al. Subcellular Localization of Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule Is a Molecular Predictor of Survival in Ovarian Carcinoma Patients Clin. Cancer Res., March 15, 2008; 14(6): 1726 - 1733. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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Y. Ma, L. Visser, H. Roelofsen, M. de Vries, A. Diepstra, G. van Imhoff, T. van der Wal, M. Luinge, G. Alvarez-Llamas, H. Vos, et al. Proteomics analysis of Hodgkin lymphoma: identification of new players involved in the cross-talk between HRS cells and infiltrating lymphocytes Blood, February 15, 2008; 111(4): 2339 - 2346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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O. Rosso, T. Piazza, I. Bongarzone, A. Rossello, D. Mezzanzanica, S. Canevari, A. M. Orengo, A. Puppo, S. Ferrini, and M. Fabbi The ALCAM Shedding by the Metalloprotease ADAM17/TACE Is Involved in Motility of Ovarian Carcinoma Cells Mol. Cancer Res., December 1, 2007; 5(12): 1246 - 1253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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J. te Riet, A. W. Zimmerman, A. Cambi, B. Joosten, S. Speller, R. Torensma, F. N. van Leeuwen, C. G. Figdor, and F. de Lange Distinct kinetic and mechanical properties govern ALCAM-mediated interactions as shown by single-molecule force spectroscopy J. Cell Sci., November 15, 2007; 120(22): 3965 - 3976. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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Y. Kato, Y. Tanaka, M. Hayashi, K. Okawa, and N. Minato Involvement of CD166 in the Activation of Human {gamma}{delta}T Cells by Tumor Cells Sensitized with Nonpeptide Antigens J. Immunol., July 15, 2006; 177(2): 877 - 884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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M Burkhardt, E Mayordomo, K-J Winzer, F Fritzsche, T Gansukh, S Pahl, W Weichert, C Denkert, H Guski, M Dietel, et al. Cytoplasmic overexpression of ALCAM is prognostic of disease progression in breast cancer J. Clin. Pathol., April 1, 2006; 59(4): 403 - 409. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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P. C. Lunter, J. W.J. van Kilsdonk, H. van Beek, I. M.H.A. Cornelissen, M. Bergers, P. H.G.M. Willems, G. N.P. van Muijen, and G. W.M. Swart Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM/CD166/MEMD), a Novel Actor in Invasive Growth, Controls Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity Cancer Res., October 1, 2005; 65(19): 8801 - 8808. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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N. Y. Frank, A. Margaryan, Y. Huang, T. Schatton, A. M. Waaga-Gasser, M. Gasser, M. H. Sayegh, W. Sadee, and M. H. Frank ABCB5-Mediated Doxorubicin Transport and Chemoresistance in Human Malignant Melanoma Cancer Res., May 15, 2005; 65(10): 4320 - 4333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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T. Piazza, E. Cha, I. Bongarzone, S. Canevari, A. Bolognesi, L. Polito, A. Bargellesi, F. Sassi, S. Ferrini, and M. Fabbi Internalization and recycling of ALCAM/CD166 detected by a fully human single-chain recombinant antibody J. Cell Sci., April 1, 2005; 118(7): 1515 - 1525. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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K. Ikeda and T. Quertermous Molecular Isolation and Characterization of a Soluble Isoform of Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule That Modulates Endothelial Cell Function J. Biol. Chem., December 31, 2004; 279(53): 55315 - 55323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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W Weichert, T Knosel, J Bellach, M Dietel, and G Kristiansen ALCAM/CD166 is overexpressed in colorectal carcinoma and correlates with shortened patient survival J. Clin. Pathol., November 1, 2004; 57(11): 1160 - 1164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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K. Uhlenbrock, A. Eberth, U. Herbrand, N. Daryab, P. Stege, F. Meier, P. Friedl, J. G. Collard, and M. R. Ahmadian The RacGEF Tiam1 inhibits migration and invasion of metastatic melanoma via a novel adhesive mechanism J. Cell Sci., September 15, 2004; 117(20): 4863 - 4871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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H. Fujiwara, K. Tatsumi, K. Kosaka, Y. Sato, T. Higuchi, S. Yoshioka, M. Maeda, M. Ueda, and S. Fujii Human Blastocysts and Endometrial Epithelial Cells Express Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM/CD166) J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2003; 88(7): 3437 - 3443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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G. Li, K. Satyamoorthy, and M. Herlyn DYNAMICS OF CELL INTERACTIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS DURING MELANOMA DEVELOPMENT Crit. Rev. Oral. Biol. Med., January 1, 2002; 13(1): 62 - 70. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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L. C. L. T. van Kempen, J. M. D. T. Nelissen, W. G. J. Degen, R. Torensma, U. H. Weidle, H. P. J. Bloemers, C. G. Figdor, and G. W. M. Swart Molecular Basis for the Homophilic Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM)-ALCAM Interaction J. Biol. Chem., July 6, 2001; 276(28): 25783 - 25790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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