Monoclonal antibodies in detection of choroidal melanoma

Abstract

Three monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) prepared against cutaneous melanomas were tested against one group of 12 choroidal melanomas with indirect immunofluorescence in frozen sections. A fourth MoAb was tested in paraffin sections of a second group of 47 choroidal melanomas. One MoAb (NKI-M7) did not react with choroidal melanoma, even though it had a high sensitivity for cutaneous melanoma. A second MoAb (NKI-M6) showed a positive reaction with only 2/12 choroidal melanomas. The third MoAb (NKI/beteb) reacted with all choroidal melanomas, regardless of the cell type. MoAb NKI/C-3 was positive with 38/47 (81%) choroidal melanomas. We conclude that NKI/C-3 and NKI/beteb have a high sensitivity for both cutaneous and choroidal melanomas in frozen sections. Of these two antibodies NKI/beteb was the most specific for cutaneous naevi and melanomas.