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Protein immunoreactivity associated with uveal melanoma metastasis
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BAP1 immunohistochemical staining of primary uveal melanoma showed high capability to evaluate metastatic risk in a study.
BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is one of the five genes frequently mutated in uveal melanoma. Previous studies found a strong association between BAP1 inactivation and metastasis, suggesting that BAP1 may function as a metastasis suppressor.
In the present study, enucleated eyes of 40 patients with primary uveal melanoma were immunohistochemically analyzed for BAP1 expression. Twenty patients did not have metastatic disease during the 77.45 ± 42.26 months of mean follow-up (group A), while 20 patients developed metastasis an average of 30.7 ± 23.13 months after enucleation (group B). As of Aug. 1, 2017, all patients in group A were alive while five patients were alive and 15 were dead in group B.
A significantly lower nuclear BAP1 immunoreactivity was found in the enucleated eyes of patients with metastatic melanoma as compared with patients without metastasis. In group B, BAP1 expression was low in 70% of patients and completely lost in 45%, while nuclear BAP1 immunoreactivity was observed in all patients without metastasis. A significant correlation was found between different degrees of immunoreactivity and the time of onset of metastasis.
Greater tumor thickness, larger basal diameter and more advanced TNM stage were also significantly correlated to the development of metastasis. However, nuclear BAP1 immunoreactivity was the only independent predictor of metastatic disease in a multivariate analysis.
“Our data support the role of BAP1 immunohistochemical stain of primary uveal melanoma cells in evaluating metastatic risk,” the authors said. – by Michela Cimberle
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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