We have noted that a third of 300 patients with melanomas have unusual nevi on their skin in contrast to four percent of normal controls. Only those patients with chronic indolent metastatic melanoma who survive for many years with overt or covert disease develop vitiligo. Melanocytotoxins like phenols, catechols, and hydroquinones have a unique proliferative and stimulating effect on Langerhans cells in the skin of mice. Contact allergens like DNFB and oxazolone do not produce these effects. PUVA, but not shortwave UV light, depletes murine skin of Ia positive dendritic cells, i.e., Langerhans cells. Similarly, cortisone, but not nitrogen mustard, depletes the skin of Langerhans cells.
| Halaban, R; Funasaka, Y; Lee, P et al. (1991) Fibroblast growth factors in normal and malignant melanocytes. Ann N Y Acad Sci 638:232-43 |
| Halaban, R (1991) Growth factors regulating normal and malignant melanocytes. Cancer Treat Res 54:19-40 |
| Halaban, R (1991) Growth factors and tyrosine protein kinases in normal and malignant melanocytes. Cancer Metastasis Rev 10:129-40 |
| Halaban, R; Langdon, R; Birchall, N et al. (1988) Basic fibroblast growth factor from human keratinocytes is a natural mitogen for melanocytes. J Cell Biol 107:1611-9 |
| Halaban, R; Langdon, R; Birchall, N et al. (1988) Paracrine stimulation of melanocytes by keratinocytes through basic fibroblast growth factor. Ann N Y Acad Sci 548:180-90 |
| Halaban, R; Moellmann, G; Tamura, A et al. (1988) Tyrosinases of murine melanocytes with mutations at the albino locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 85:7241-5 |
