Ipilimumab With or Without Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma

  * HLA-A\*0201 positive disease
* Previously treated metastatic disease
* Clinically evaluable and measurable disease
* No mucosal or ocular melanoma
* No evidence of active brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* WBC ≥ 2,500/mm³
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³
* Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Creatinine \< 2.5 mg/dL
* AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
* Bilirubin normal (\< 3.0 mg/dL if Gilbert's syndrome is present)
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* HIV negativity
* No hepatitis C virus antibodies
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other prior malignancy except for any of the following:

  * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
  * Superficial bladder cancer
  * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  * Any other cancer from which patient has been disease free for \> 5 years
* No active immune-mediated disease requiring active therapy with any form of steroid or immunosuppressive therapy
* No documented history of any of the following:

  * Inflammatory bowel disease
  * Regional enteritis
  * Connective tissue disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus
  * Rheumatoid arthritis
  * Immune-mediated inflammatory eye disease
  * Sjögren's syndrome
  * Inflammatory neurologic disorder, such as multiple sclerosis
  * Any immune-mediated disease that can cause life-threatening symptoms or severe organ/tissue damage, in the opinion of the principal investigator

    * History of vitiligo or immune-mediated thyroiditis allowed
    * Skin rashes associated with previous therapy allowed provided patient has recovered from treatment-related toxicity to \< grade 1
* No active infection
* No systemic hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs

  * History of local reactions (e.g., delayed hypersensitivity or glaucomatous reactions) to Montanide ISA-51 allowed
* No underlying medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic treatment (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
* No prior ipilimumab or gp100 vaccines
* More than 4 weeks since prior steroids
* No concurrent systemic or topical corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine or chemotherapy agents), including steroid enemas, inhaled steroids, or steroid eye drops

  * Hormone-replacement therapy allowed