Abstract: In order to study the role of apoptosis on halo nevus development, we studied the expression of bcl-2 in 8 patients with halo nevus and 8 patients with melanocytic nevus using immunohistochemical methods. All 8 patients with halo nevus and 3 of 8 patients with melanocytic nevus expresed bcl-2, but the staining was significantly weaker in the patients with melanocytic nevus. Because the expression of bcl-2 was obviously different in the tissues of the two types of nevus, the authors believe that the over expression for bcl-2 may be related to the autoimmune mechanism of halo nevus development, and it may be a homeostatic response to high rate of apoptosis in the tissues of halo nevus.

Key words: Halo nevus, Apoptosis, bcl-2