Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42858195›Full record

ArticleVirchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology2026

LEF1 expression in melanocytic tumors cannot accurately predict CTNNB1 mutational status acting as a potential pitfall in bi-phenotypic lesions.

Dimitrios Goutas, Nikolaos Katsoulas, Maria Michelli, Martha Nifora, Pavlos Papadakis, Anastasios Stofas, Nektarios I Koufopoulos, Eleftheria Lakiotaki, Irini Theochari, Angelica Α Saetta and 6 more

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Article in Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Dimitrios GoutasSecond Department of Pathology, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari, 12462, Athens, Greece. dimgoutas@med.uoa.gr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1996-5884
Nikolaos KatsoulasFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Maria MichelliFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Martha NiforaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, Egaleo, Greece.
Pavlos PapadakisFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Anastasios StofasFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Nektarios I KoufopoulosSecond Department of Pathology, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari, 12462, Athens, Greece.
Eleftheria LakiotakiFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Irini TheochariFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Angelica Α SaettaFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Ioannis G PanayiotidesFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Periklis G FoukasSecond Department of Pathology, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari, 12462, Athens, Greece.
Penelope KorkolopoulouFirst Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Vasileia DamaskouSecond Department of Pathology, Medical School, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari, 12462, Athens, Greece.
Vasiliki SiozopoulouDepartment of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Arnaud de la FouchardiereCentre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre Le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost melanocytic lesions develop along a genetic continuum progressing from a nevus to melanoma. Melanocytomas represent an intermediate category of tumors that lie within that spectrum harboring additional genetic alterations that may affect their phenotype. WHO currently recognizes three melanocytoma categories: Pigmented Epithelioid Melanocytomas (PEMs), BAP1-inactivated Melanocytomas (BIMs) and WNT-activated deep penetrating/plexiform melanocytomas (naevus) (WNT-activated DPMNs). Among them, WNT-activated DPMNs represent an underrecognized entity often misinterpreted as other biphenotypic pigmented lesions or melanomas. Therefore, LEF1 has been proposed as a marker of increased utility in the diagnosis of WNT-activated DPMNs. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe assessed LEF1 expression in a series of 61 melanocytic tumors including 10 Spitz nevi, 16 blue nevi, 9 common nevi, 1 combined nevus, 9 melanomas (various subtypes), 12 WNT-activated DPMNs, 2 WNT-activated melanomas and 2 PEMs. Beta-catenin was evaluated in all combined lesions and in one atypical cellular blue nevus (n = 23). Furthermore, CTNNB1 mutational analysis was performed in 49 cases.

resultsLEF1 nuclear positivity was detected in 43/61 cases, i.e. 6/10 (60%) Spitz nevi, 5/16 (31%) BN (4/5) bi-phasic BN, 0/5 dendritic BN and 1/6 cellular BN), 9/9 (100%) common nevi, 0/1 combined nevus, 9/9 (100%) melanomas, 12/12 (100%) WNT-activated DPMNs, 2/2 WNT-activated melanomas and 0/2 PEMs. Subsequent examination for CTNNB1 molecular status displayed mutations only in WNT-activated lesions. Nuclear beta-catenin was detected in 11/12 WNT-activated DPMNs and in both WNT-activated melanomas; the remaining 10 lesions assessed, including the atypical cellular blue nevus, demonstrated physiological membranous expression only.

conclusionLEF1 expression should be interpreted cautiously in pigmented or combined melanocytic lesions. Its diagnostic value is enhanced when assessed alongside beta-catenin or supported by CTNNB1 mutation analysis.

Indexed as

Beta-cateninBiphenotypic melanocytic lesionsCTNNB1Deep penetrating nevusLEF1WNT-activated melanocytoma

Identifiers

PMID42858195

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