{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T14:14:31Z","timestamp":1774275271895,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dermatopathology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>PRAME (Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma) is increasingly used as an immunohistochemical marker in the evaluation of melanocytic lesions; however, its expression in benign melanocytic proliferations remains incompletely characterized. This study investigated PRAME expression in melanoacanthomas, with particular emphasis on its relationship with ultraviolet exposure and chronic solar damage. A consecutive series of melanoacanthomas was retrospectively analyzed. Melanocytes were identified and quantified using SOX10 immunohistochemistry, while PRAME-positive melanocytes were counted and graded semiquantitatively according to nuclear staining intensity. PRAME expression was correlated with lesion site (photoexposed versus non-photoexposed skin) and with the degree of solar elastosis. Eighty-four cases were evaluated, of which 25 (29.8%) showed at least focal PRAME positivity in melanocytes. Overall melanocytic density assessed by SOX10 did not differ significantly between photoexposed and non-photoexposed lesions. Similarly, stratification based on total PRAME-positive melanocyte counts, irrespective of staining intensity, revealed no significant association with photoexposure. In contrast, analysis restricted to melanocytes with strong nuclear PRAME expression demonstrated a significant enrichment in photoexposed lesions compared with non-photoexposed sites (p &lt; 0.01). Moreover, high-intensity PRAME expression showed a positive association with increasing grades of solar elastosis. These findings indicate that strong PRAME expression in melanoacanthoma could be associated with chronic sun damage and may reflect non-specific, ultraviolet-related modulation rather than malignant transformation, underscoring the importance of contextual interpretation of PRAME immunohistochemistry in diagnostic practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dermatopathology13010014","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T13:07:06Z","timestamp":1774271226000},"page":"14","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["PRAME Expression in Melanoacanthomas: Expanding the Spectrum of Positive Melanocytes in Sun-Exposed Skin"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8954-5888","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Fortarezza","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Via Nicol\u00f2 Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-1869-5058","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Poputchikova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Via Nicol\u00f2 Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8023-3108","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Federica","family":"Pezzuto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Via Nicol\u00f2 Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9098-4124","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Ciolfi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vincenza","family":"Guzzardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Via Nicol\u00f2 Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2862-8014","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paolo","family":"Del Fiore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Soft-Tissue, Peritoneum and Melanoma Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0325-4316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerardo","family":"Cazzato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Franco","family":"Bassetto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mauro","family":"Alaibac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Padua, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Angelo Paolo","family":"Dei Tos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Via Nicol\u00f2 Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Padua, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1456","DOI":"10.1097\/PAS.0000000000001134","article-title":"PRAME Expression in Melanocytic Tumors","volume":"42","author":"Lezcano","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. 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