HMGB1 and neoplasm: When the intracellular localization of HMGB1 was assessed in tissue sections of nevi, primary melanoma (superficial spreading melanoma) and melanoma metastases, nuclear HMGB1 staining was observed in nevi and primary melanomas, whereas in melanoma metastases large areas of the tumour were composed of cells with cytoplasmic HMGB1 staining (Fig. 2a).