Original Article

Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1996) 107, 694–697; doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12365586

Excess of Nevi Related to Immunodeficiency: A Study in HIV-Infected Patients and Renal Transplant Transplant Recipients

Jean Jacques Grob1, Sylvie Bastuji-Garin2, Loïc Vaillant3, Jean Claude Roujeau2, Philippe Bernard4, Bruno Sassolas5 and Jean Claude Guillaume6

  1. 1Réseau d'Epidemiologie en Dermatologie (RED), Hôpital Ste Marguerite, Marseille, France
  2. 2Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France
  3. 3Hôpital Trousseau, Tours, France
  4. 4Hôpital Dupuytren, Limoges, France
  5. 5Hôpital Augustin Morvan, Brest, France
  6. 6Hôpital Pasteur, Colmar, France

Received 6 March 1996; Revised 25 June 1996; Accepted 8 August 1996.

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Abstract

To assess the relationship between immune system and nevi, we studied two models of immunodeficiency caused by different mechanism, i.e., virus and drug. Our rationale was that if an excess of nevi was found in these two epidemiologic models, it could be concluded that the excess was due to immunodeficiency itself rather than its cause. One hundred ten renal transplant recipients (RTR) were compared with age-, sex-, and phenotype-matched controls. Eighty four HIV-positive patients were compared with similarly matched controls. Nevi < 5 mm (N < 5) or greater than or equal to 5 mm (N greater than or equal to 5) were counted in three sites representative of regularly, intermittently, and never sun-exposed sites. The number of N < 5 was higher in RTR (p < 0.001) and in HIV+ (p < 0.001) than in respective controls. N greater than or equal to 5 were significantly higher only in RTR. These differences tended to be the same for all sites and persisted after adjustment for possible confounding factors. The incidence of atypical nevus was higher in RTR than in controls. Immunodeficiency seems to promote the occurrence of nevi. This supports the concept of immune surveillance of nevi and raises the questions of whether sun-induced immune suppression plays a role in the development of nevi. As nevi are risk markers for melanoma, a higher incidence of melanoma could be expected in immunocompromised patients.

Keywords:

melanoma, prevention, sun exposure

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