Objective:

To explore the utility of the biomarker CD271 for diagnosing challenging cutaneous melanocytic lesions.

Approach:

• Study Design: Examined 156 challenging melanocytic lesions immunohistochemically stained for CD271, Ki-67, and PRAME.
• Quantification Method: CD271 was quantified manually, while Ki-67 and PRAME were quantified using AI-driven image analysis.

Key Findings:

• CD271 was expressed in almost all basal keratinocytes in benign nevi, showing a consistent staining pattern.
• This staining pattern was lost or disrupted in melanomas.
• CD271 outperformed Ki-67 and PRAME in diagnostic performance with a ROC curve of 0.93 compared to 0.84 for PRAME and 0.83 for Ki-67.

Sources:

• ECP 2026 Presentation