DETECTION OF TYROSINASE-MESSENGER-RNA IN FINE-NEEDLE PUNCTURES FROM MALIGNANT-MELANOMA METASTASES BY REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE AND POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Tyrosinase mRNA produced by melanoma cells can be detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) with fine-needle tiss ue punctures. Fine-needle punctures from six suspected skin and lymph node metastases in three patients with malignant melanoma were analyse d via rt-pcr for tyrosinase mRNA. All the suspected metastases were su rgically removed and histologically examined separately. In each case the rt-pcr results and the histological diagnosis corresponded. This l ess invasive and highly sensitive method could prove to be a useful al ternative in the diagnosis of melanoma metastasis.