Original Article: The Significance of Peanut Agglutinin in the Differential Diagnosis of Nevus Cell Nevus and Malignant Melanoma

    January 1990 in “ 대한피부과학회지 ”
    정진영, 문두찬, 권경술, 정태안
    TLDR Peanut agglutinin staining helps differentiate malignant melanoma from nevocellular nevus.
    The study investigated the use of peanut agglutinin (PNA) in differentiating between nevocellular nevi and malignant melanomas. Using neuraminidase pretreatment and the avidin-biotin peroxidase complex (ABC) technique, researchers observed distinct PNA binding patterns in normal skin, nevocellular nevi, and malignant melanomas. In normal skin, PNA stained the cell membranes of the epidermis and hair follicle epithelium, while sebaceous glands showed membranous and cytoplasmic staining. Nevocellular nevi did not stain with PNA after neuraminidase pretreatment, whereas malignant melanomas showed PNA staining along the cell membrane. The study concluded that PNA staining after neuraminidase pretreatment is a useful method for distinguishing between malignant melanoma and nevocellular nevus.
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