AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF NM23 GENE-PRODUCT EXPRESSION IN UVEAL MELANOMA

Citation
Im. Greco et al., AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF NM23 GENE-PRODUCT EXPRESSION IN UVEAL MELANOMA, Melanoma research, 7(3), 1997, pp. 231-236
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, Research & Experimental",Oncology,"Dermatology & Venereal Diseases
Journal title
ISSN journal
09608931
Volume
7
Issue
3
Year of publication
1997
Pages
231 - 236
Database
ISI
SICI code
0960-8931(1997)7:3<231:AIAONG>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Uveal melanoma is characterized by an unpredictable clinical course, d uring which metastatic disease may occur after a prolonged and, at pre sent, undefinable disease-free interval. Because of its relative rarit y and the dispersion of cases, the possible genetic alterations implic ated in the invasive and metastatic behaviour of this ocular neoplasm have not yet been characterized. The aim of this immunohistochemical r etrospective study was to assess the expression of nm23 gene product, proposed to be a metastasis-suppressor gene, in uveal melanoma and to analyse its prognostic significance in relation to the various convent ional histopathological parameters, currently considered the major pro gnostic indicators in this intra-ocular neoplasm. We analysed formalin -fixed paraffin-embedded samples excised from 33 patients with uveal m elanoma. Of these, 22 (67%) were positive for monoclonal antibody nm23 . This nm23 positivity was inversely associated with scleral invasion level (P = 0.001) and largest tumour diameter (P = 0.02), which repres ent the two most significant prognostic factors for metastasis. On the other hand, there was no correlation between nm23 expression and othe r prognostic markers such as cell type, intraocular location or clinic al characteristics. These results may suggest a close relationship bet ween nm23 gene expression and metastatic potential of uveal melanomas. In addition, analysis of nm23 gene expression on bioptic tissue may r epresent an extreme useful prognostic tool for metastatic progression of uveal melanomas.