Nestin Is Expressed in HMB-45 Negative Melanoma Cells in Dermal Parts of Nodular Melanoma

The study investigated the expression of nestin, a marker of neural and hair follicle stem cells, in melanoma. It was found that nestin immunoreactivity was present in HMB-45-negative melanoma cells in all five cases of amelanotic nodular melanomas and in the dermal parts of seven out of 10 cases of melanotic nodular melanomas. Notably, nestin was expressed in the dermal parts of all 10 cases of HMB-45-negative amelanotic and melanotic nodular melanomas. Conversely, nestin expression was negative in 10 out of 12 cases of superficial spreading melanoma. These findings suggested that nestin served as an important marker for identifying HMB-45-negative melanoma cells in the dermal regions of nodular melanoma patients.