Detection of disseminated melanoma cells by reverse-transcription - polymerase chain reaction

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Ivan Šamija
• Author: Josip Lukač
• Author: Zvonko Kusić
• Author: Mirna Šitum
• Author: Mirko Šamija
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences

Abstract (english)

Detection of circulating melanoma cells by reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a molecular diagnostic procedure which is used to predict prognosis in melanoma patients. The most widely used specific marker for detection of circulating melanoma cells by RT-PCR is expression of tyrosinase gene. This procedure has shown high specificity and low threshold for detection of melanoma cells. Most of the studies have shown that prognosis is worse in patients in which circulating melanoma cells were detected. Detection of circulating melanoma cells has been studied also as a marker for predicting response to therapy. The clinical value of this procedure is limited by the proportion of patients with clinically confirmed distant metastases being tyrosinase negative in almost all the studies. Studies have shown that analysis of additional markers to tyrosinase enables detection of circulating melanoma cells in a higher percentage of melanoma patients. RT-PCR has shown a lower threshold for detection than other methods (immunohistochemistry) in detection of melanoma metastases in lymph nodes.

Abstract (croatian)

Određivanje cirkulirajućih melanomskih stanica metodom lančane reakcije polimerazom nakon obrnutog prepisivanja (RT-PCR) je molekularno dijagnostički postupak koji se primjenjuje u bolesnika sa melanomom u svrhu predviđanja prognoze. Kao specifični biljeg za određivanje cirkulirajućih melanomskih stanica metodom RT-PCR najčešće se primjenjuje ekspresija gena za tirozinazu. Ovaj postupak je pokazao visoku specifičnost i nizak prag detekcije melanomskih stanica. Većina istraživanja je pokazala de je prognoza lošija u bolesnika u kojih su nađene cirkulirajuće melanomske stanice. Određivanje cirkulirajućih melanomskih stanica istražuje se i kao biljeg za praćenje odgovora ne liječenje. Kliničku vrijednost ovog postupka umanjuje to što je u gotovo svim istraživanjima određeni udio bolesnika s klinički potvrđenim udaljenim metastazama bio negativan na tirozinazu. Pokazalo se da analiza dodatnih biljega uz tirozinazu omogućuje otkrivanje cirkulirajućih melanomskih stanica u većeg broja bolesnika sa melanomom. Metoda RT-PCR je pokazala niži prag detekcije od drugih postupaka (imunohistokemije) pri određivanju metastaza melanoma u limfnim čvorovima.

• Keywords (english): Melanoma - diagnosis - pathology - secondary; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Bone Marrow - pathology; Cerebrospinal Fluid - cytology; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoplasm Circulating Cells; Tumor Markers, Biological - analysis
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Collegium Antropologicum
• Numbering: vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1187-1194
• p-ISSN: 0350-6134
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:845566
• Publication: 2007-12
• Document URL: https://hrcak.srce.hr/26990
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-03-28 10:52:57