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Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with melanoma: Correlation with clinical stage, tumor thickness and histological type
Author(s) -
Carrillo Esmeralda,
Prados Jose,
Melguizo Consolación,
Marchal Juan Antonio,
Vélez Celia,
Serrano Salvio,
Boulaiz Houria,
Mérida Juan Antonio,
Aránega Antonia
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1827.2002.01344.x
Subject(s) - melanoma , pathology , medicine , reverse transcriptase , stage (stratigraphy) , polymerase chain reaction , tyrosinase , circulating tumor cell , cancer , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , messenger rna , cancer research , biology , metastasis , gene , enzyme , paleontology , biochemistry
The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the detection of circulating melanoma cells and prognostic criteria for malignant melanoma such as clinical stage, tumor thickness and histological type of the primary tumor. Using a reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) technique, melanoma cells were identified by detecting tyrosinase mRNA in peripheral blood from 58 patients with malignant melanoma classified according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer guidelines. The results of the RT–PCR assay for tyrosinase were related to two prognostic markers typically used to evaluate these tumors: clinical stage and thickness. Positive PCR results were more frequent in primary tumors measuring > 4 mm (83%) than in thinner tumors (1.1–4.0 mm, 74%; ≤ 1.0 mm, 23%) ( P = 0.005). No statistical correlation was found between the PCR results and histological appearance of the primary tumor. Although further studies are necessary, our results suggest the possible application of the PCR assay for tyrosinase mRNA in clinical evaluation of the prognosis of malignant melanoma.