Prognostic significance of tyrosinase mRNA detected by nested RT-PCR in patients with malignant melanoma

Year, pages: 2006, 9 - 14

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of tyrosinase mRNAappearance in blood of malignant melanoma (MM) patients, especially with advanced stages, for predicting the disease progression, and consequently the survival. The tyrosinase mRNA was measured by nested RT-PCR in peripheral venous blood samples obtained from 86 patients (53 male and 33 female) with mainly stage III and IV MM. The data were analyzed using standard methods for survival analysis and logistic regression. Tyrosinase was negative in the MM patients with the disease stage I or II, positive tyrosinase was in 11/50 patients with stage III and in 5/22 patients with stage IV. Systemic metastases developed in 14/16 patients with positive tyrosinase and in 41/70 with negative tyrosinase. The 3-year survival was 8% and 28% among the patients with positive and the patients with negative tyrosinase, respectively. The log rank test showed statistically significant better survival of tyrosinase negative patients when compared to tyrosinase positive patients (p=0.039). Multivariate analysis using logistic regression indicated tyrosinase to be a statistically significant prognostic factor for the survival of MM patients after controlling for Breslow and ulceration values (p=0.006). Positive tyrosinase in peripheral venous blood is statistically significant, and more importantly independent negative predictor of survival.

Glumac, N., Snoj, M., Hocevar, M., Novakovic, S. 2006. Prognostic significance of tyrosinase mRNA detected by nested RT-PCR in patients with malignant melanoma. In NEOPLASMA, vol. 53, no.1, pp. 9-14. 0028-2685.

Glumac, N., Snoj, M., Hocevar, M., Novakovic, S. (2006). Prognostic significance of tyrosinase mRNA detected by nested RT-PCR in patients with malignant melanoma. NEOPLASMA, 53(1), 9-14. 0028-2685.