Sox-10 to differentiate between melanoma in situ and actinic keratosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of antibody SOX-10 as a more advantageous immunohistochemical marker than Melan-A for the differential diagnosis of melanoma in situ and actinic keratosis with melanocytic hyperplasia.
IRAS ID
317871
Contact name
Isabella Hutton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 12 days
Research summary
This study aims to compare immunohistochemical staining of currently used antibody Melan-A to antibody SOX-10 to determine whether SOX-10 is a better melanocytic marker for the differential diagnosis of actinic keratosis with melanocytic hyperplasia and melanoma in situ, thus gives more accurate diagnosis and better patient management, so should be brought into routine use in the laboratory. To do this, the study will be done retrospectively, whereby tissue sections will be cut from 50 cases of archived patient tissue blocks, which have had tissue sections previously cut and stained with antibody melan-a for the differential diagnosis, and antibody SOX-10 will be stained. Quantitative evaluation will be performed on microscopic examination, whereby a scoring system will be created, which will allow statistical analysis (T-test) to be completed to establish whether SOX-10 is a more precise and reliable melanocytic marker than Melan-A in this differential diagnosis. This research would therefore add to the field of knowledge in the Milton Keynes University Hospital cellular pathology laboratory, by determining whether antibody SOX-10 should be brought into routine use to aid the accurate diagnosis of skin conditions with melanocytic proliferation that could be mimicked by other melanocytic skin conditions.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SW/0180
Date of REC Opinion
21 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion