Monoclonal Antibody With or Without gp100 Peptides Plus Montanide ISA-51 in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma
* Clinically evaluable or measurable disease
* No mucosal or ocular melanoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 16 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Hematocrit ≥ 28%
* WBC ≥ 2,500/mm\^3

Hepatic

* AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin ≤ ULN (\< 3 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* Hepatitis C virus antibody negative

Renal

* Creatinine \< 2 mg/dL

Immunologic

* HIV negative
* No history of any of the following:

  * Inflammatory bowel disease
  * Regional enteritis
  * Connective tissue disorders (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus)
  * Rheumatoid arthritis
  * Autoimmune inflammatory eye disease
  * Sjögren's syndrome
  * Inflammatory neurologic disorder (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
* No active infection
* No active autoimmune disease that may cause life-threatening symptoms or severe organ/tissue damage

  * Vitiligo, autoimmune thyroiditis, or skin rashes associated with prior therapy are allowed if patient has recovered to grade 1 or less toxicity
* No systemic hypersensitivity to study agents

  * Prior local reaction (e.g., delayed hypersensitivity or glaucomatous reactions) to Montanide ISA-51 or gp100 injections allowed
* No autoimmune disease requiring active therapy with any form of steroid or immunosuppressant

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No concurrent underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody
* Prior therapy with gp100 peptides or any other immunotherapy allowed

Chemotherapy

* At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas and recovered (toxicity no greater than grade 1)
* No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* At least 4 weeks since prior steroids
* No concurrent systemic, inhaled, optical, or topical corticosteroids

Radiotherapy

* Not specified

Surgery

* Not specified

Other

* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic therapy for melanoma and recovered (toxicity no greater than grade 1)
* No concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine)