Modulation of cell adhesion molecule expression plays a key role in melanoma metastasis. In particular, the expression of the cell adhesion molecule L1 has been associated with the metastatic phenotype in a murine model of malignant melanoma. However, no such association between L1 expression and metastasis has been investigated in a clinical study. Therefore, L1 expression was determined immunohistochemically in 100 cases of malignant melanoma and correlated with metastasis in a 10-year retrospective study. Furthermore, nine distant metastases and five sentinel lymph node metastases were analysed for their L1 expression. Additionally, the expression of alpha2,3 sialic acid residues, which are recognised by the siglec domain of L1, was determined by Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) lectin histochemistry. The log-rank test between Kaplan-Meier curves revealed a positive association between L1 expression and metastasis (P<0.0001) and multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for tumour thickness, ulceration and mitotic rate confirmed the prognostic power of L1 in malignant melanoma. As alpha2,3 sialic acid residues were absent in melanoma cells, homotypic adhesion between melanoma cells via their siglec domain can be excluded, suggesting a different adhesive function of L1 during melanoma metastasis. The functional role of L1 was further stressed by the fact that its expression was preserved in metastatic lesions.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
1
3%
Other
4
11%
Unknown
8
21%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 9. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 01 October 2025.
All research outputs
#5,145,798
of 34,400,738 outputs
Outputs from European Journal of Cancer (1965)
#1,772
of 8,775 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#9,872
of 73,479 outputs
Outputs of similar age from European Journal of Cancer (1965)
#4
of 43 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,400,738 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 83rd percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 8,775 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 9.1. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 74% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 73,479 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 79% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 43 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 76% of its contemporaries.
