Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This study was conducted to examine the prognostic impact of four biomarkers [tyrosinase and MART-1 messenger RNA (mRNA), S100beta protein and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)] in patients with metastatic melanoma, together with established clinical factors. Tyrosinase and MART-1 mRNA were measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). S100beta was measured using a commercially available immunoassay, and LDH was analysed conventionally. All markers were measured in blood samples before interleukin-2-based immunotherapy in 85 patients with metastatic melanoma. LDH, S100beta, tyrosinase, number of metastatic sites, location of metastatic sites and performance status were all significant factors for survival in univariate analyses. In multivariate analysis, tyrosinase [hazard ratio (HR)=1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-2.6; P=0.04] and LDH (HR=2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5; P=0.02) were both independent prognostic factors for survival. A combination variable of tyrosinase and LDH remained independently associated with survival (P=0.04) after adjusting for the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage IV classification in a multivariate analysis involving both models. It can be concluded that tyrosinase mRNA and elevated LDH are independent prognostic factors for poor survival in this group of 85 patients. Additional studies are needed before the prognostic value of tyrosinase mRNA in metastatic melanoma can be firmly established. Further evaluation of the combined measurement of tyrosinase mRNA and LDH is warranted.
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PMID:Tyrosinase messenger RNA in peripheral blood is related to poor survival in patients with metastatic melanoma following interleukin-2-based immunotherapy. 1617 68

Primary malignant melanoma originating in the digestive tract is extremely rare. A case of primary malignant melanoma in the descending colon is described. The tumor was an elevated mass with surface necrosis. Histologically, tumor cells were arranged with compact nests surrounded by fibrous stroma. The tumor cells had pleomorphic nuclei and rich cytoplasm. In some areas, cells of signet ring-like appearance were found. An immunohistochemical examination showed that most of the tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein, HMB-45, melan-A, vimentin and CD38. Ultrastructural examination confirmed some premelanosomes. EWS-ATF-1 fusion transcript, which is usually detected in clear cell sarcoma, was not demonstrated on reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Because there was no evidence of either cutaneous or ocular primary melanoma, the tumor was thus diagnosed as primary colonic malignant melanoma. The patient has remained free of recurrent disease for 3 years after a surgical resection. Colonic malignant melanoma must be differentiated from other intestinal tumor, and the possibility of metastasis from another more common primary site must be ruled out.
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PMID:Primary colonic malignant melanoma. 1709 32

Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for specific melanoma markers is more sensitive than histology for detecting cells of melanocytic origin in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in cutaneous melanoma. The clinical significance of a positive qRT-PCR analysis is unclear. We performed qRT-PCR for the presence of MART-1 and tyrosinase in SLNs from 93 melanoma patients, and then followed these patients clinically (median follow-up time 43.5 months). We found a significant correlation between disease progression and presence of MART-1 mRNA in SLNs (p=0.02), but no correlation with the amount of MART-1 mRNA as measured by qRT-PCR. No correlation between histology and recurrence was detected, recurrence rates being low in both histology-negative (12%) and -positive (15%) patients. We found a significant difference in disease recurrence between patients positive by both histology and RT-PCR and patients negative by both methods (15% vs 0%, p=0.02). However, a significant difference in disease recurrence was also found when comparing patients negative by both methods with patients positive by RT-PCR but negative by histology (0% vs 19%, p=0.009). This suggests that the presence of submicroscopic metastases may influence prognosis, indicating that RT-PCR detection of melanocytic cells in SLNs may be an important diagnostic marker.
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PMID:Quantitative real-time RT-PCR in sentinel lymph nodes from melanoma patients. Detection of melanocytic mRNA predicts disease-free survival. 1837 85

A proportion of patients who develop regional and distant recurrences of melanoma after a pathologically negative sentinel lymph node (SN) biopsy are reported to have enhanced signals for melanoma-associated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) when sensitive molecular approaches such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are used to evaluate their SN tissue. The significance of these findings remains controversial, because the cellular source of the augmented signals cannot be known as the nodal tissue is destroyed during preparation for RT-PCR. Nevertheless, it is claimed that the source of the augmented signal is covert metastatic melanoma cells. To determine whether there are histologically occult metastases in SN and whether there are sources of augmentable melanoma-associated mRNA other than melanoma cells, we applied reverse transcriptase in situ polymerase chain reaction (RT in situ PCR) to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded nodal tissue. This approach amplifies small amounts of melanoma-associated mRNA and permits identification of cells that express that mRNA. Cells containing MART-1 mRNA were detected in 6 of 21 SNs (29%) and 2 of 16 nonsentinel lymph node (NSNs) (13%) that were tumor negative on hematoxylin and eosin and on immunohistochemical assessment for S-100, MART-1, and HMB-45. In patients with microscopic evidence of melanoma in their SN, MART-1 mRNA-positive cells were identified in 2 of 7 NSNs (29%) that were histologically tumor free. MART-1 mRNA-positive cells were also detected in tumor-negative SN sections from 6 of 7 (86%) nodes that had tumor present in areas of the node not represented in the studied sections. Some cells that expressed MART-1 mRNA that was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm appeared to be melanoma cells, whereas others resembled macrophages. The latter cells expressed augmented mRNA on granules that were intermixed with melanin granules. In other cases, MART-1 mRNA-positive macrophage-like cells contained nuclei and nucleoli more typical of melanoma cells and may represent the macrophage-melanoma hybrids that have been previously reported. Combination of RT in situ PCR for MART-1 mRNA and immunohistochemistry for CD68 revealed that CD68 was colocalized in some cells that expressed MART-1 mRNA. Some lymph nodes that are tumor negative by histology and immunohistochemistry contain cells that express mRNA for MART-1. Some of these cells may be interpreted as "stealth" melanoma cells in which, despite the presence of MART-1 mRNA, there is an absence of immunohistochemically detectable MART-1 protein. Other cells that contain MART-1 mRNA are clearly not melanoma cells or may represent melanoma hybrids. These findings should be taken into account when interpreting and applying the results of RT-PCR analysis of nodal (and other) tissues.
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PMID:"Stealth" melanoma cells in histology-negative sentinel lymph nodes. 2199 86

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard of care for staging melanoma. However, limited research has been carried out on the prognostic value of SLNB in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma in Asian countries. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy of SLNB in Japanese patients with primary cutaneous melanoma and to elucidate whether reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) is valuable for predicting patient outcome. A total of 101 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma underwent SLNB at the Department of Dermatology, Kyushu University (Fukuoka, Japan), between May 2001 and December 2009. The removed nodes were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and with immunohistochemical stains for HMB-45, tyrosinase, MART-1, and MITF and multiple-mRNA marker (MART-1, tyrosinase, and GP-100) RT-PCR assays were conducted. The following clinicopathological variables were evaluated: age, sex, histological type, tumor site, Breslow thickness, disease-free survival (DFS), and melanoma-specific survival (MSS). Several parameters were analyzed for DFS and MSS using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. The success rate of identifying SLNs was 98% (99 of 101 cases). Tumor-positive SLNs were significantly correlated with higher Breslow thickness, stage, tumor subtype, and tumor site. Patients with tumor-positive SLNs had a significantly shorter MSS and DFS than those with tumor-negative SLNs (P=0.0153 and 0.0004, respectively). Patients with at least two positive markers in the RT-PCR assay had a significantly shorter DFS than those with less than one marker (P=0.013). SLNB and multimarker RT-PCR analysis are useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with melanoma.
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PMID:The prognostic value of a reverse transcriptase-PCR assay of sentinel lymph node biopsy for patients with cutaneous melanoma: a single-center analysis in Japan. 2210 7

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in peripheral blood has been investigated for its prognostic ability, and its potential to measure the effectiveness of treatment(s) in patients with melanoma. However, a highly sensitive and specific assay is required to detect CTC in patients' blood. We have developed a multimarker quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay for detecting CTC directly from peripheral blood specimens without the need of separating CTC from leukocytes (PBL). We selected and optimized four mRNA biomarkers (MART-1/Melan-A, MAGE-A3, PAX3, and GalNAc-T) for detection and prediction of clinical outcome in melanoma patients. Our protocol has both high sensitivity and specificity for CTC in blood specimens-detecting approximately one to five melanoma cells in 10(7) PBL. We have demonstrated the significance of this assay for serial bleed assessment of CTC in clinical trials and for daily clinical usage.
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PMID:Circulating tumor cells as prognostic biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma patients. 2425 96


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