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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Adhesion molecules are substances which are involved in the interactions between cells, and between cells and the extracellular matrix in both benign and malignant tissues. Two members of this group--intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and MUC18--have previously been found to be expressed on melanoma; however, studies seeking a correlation between expression and metastatic behaviour have yielded conflicting results. In this study we investigated the expression of these two antigens and that of a number of other adhesion molecules [VCAM-1, ELAM, and the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)] on a range of benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. Both ICAM-1 and MUC18 were found on a high percentage of all melanocytic lesions including benign naevi. VCAM-1 was found to be expressed on 79 per cent of benign naevi, 62 per cent of primary melanomas less than 1.5 mm in depth, and 6 per cent of thick primaries. The antigen was present on 14 per cent of lymph node metastases and on no extranodal deposits. This suggests that loss of melanoma cell adhesion mediated by VCAM-1 may be important in the development of metastatic melanoma.
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PMID:A study of adhesion molecules as markers of progression in malignant melanoma. 137 91

To identify molecules which may be functionally associated with the development of metastasis in human melanoma, monoclonal antibodies which discriminate between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions in situ were selected. Biochemical studies and cDNA cloning identified the antigens HLA-DR, ICAM-1 and MUC18 which showed an expression pattern on primary tumors correlating with vertical tumor thickness, the most predictive parameter for the development of metastasis in melanoma. ICAM-1 and MUC18 show sequence similarity to a family of cell adhesion molecules which include the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM. Both HLA-DR and ICAM-1 can be induced on melanoma cells by lymphokines, suggesting a role of the mononuclear cell infiltrate in the control of tumor cell phenotype. Knowledge of the normal function of these molecules allows one to hypothesize how they may contribute to the successful development of metastases.
Invasion Metastasis 1989
PMID:Functional aspects of three molecules associated with metastasis development in human malignant melanoma. 257 17

The MUC18 antigen is an integral membrane glycoprotein of 113 kDa whose expression on primary human melanomas correlates with poor prognosis and the development of metastatic disease. MUC18 is expressed only sporadically in benign melanocytic nevi and thin primary melanomas that have a low probability of metastasizing. However, with increasing tumor thickness, MUC18 expression becomes more frequent and it is found on 80% of advanced primary tumors and metastases. MUC18-encoding cDNA clones were obtained by screening a human melanoma phage lambda expression library with monoclonal antibodies produced against the denatured antigen. The deduced sequence of 603 amino acids consists of a signal peptide, five immunoglobulin-like domains, a transmembrane region, and a short cytoplasmic tail. The highest sequence similarity is with a group of nervous system cell adhesion molecules, which includes neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM). The close structural relationship with these molecules suggests that MUC18 may also be a developmentally regulated cell adhesion molecule.
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PMID:MUC18, a marker of tumor progression in human melanoma, shows sequence similarity to the neural cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily. 260 81

Loss and gain of cell surface molecules determines the mobilization, emigration and invasiveness of epithelial cancer cells. As a first approach to gain further insight into these processes, we have followed two strategies: (1) to identify tumour cells which have disseminated early from primary carcinomas and to obtain information about the phenotype and prognostic significance of these cells; and (2) to identify molecular changes occurring in primary tumour cells at the time they develop their metastatic potential. Our analyses indicate that changes in the adhesive properties of solid tumour cells, such as down-regulation of desmosomal proteins (e.g. plakoglobin) and neo-expression of ICAM-1 or MUC18, are important determinants of the metastatic capability of individual malignant cells. The expression pattern of these cell adhesion molecules during tumour progression appears to reflect a disturbance at the level of the molecular elements normally responsible for controlling their expression. The outlined current strategies for detection, characterization and antibody therapy of cancer micrometastasis can be applied to the secondary prevention of metastatic disease in patients with minimal residual cancer.
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PMID:Early metastasis of human solid tumours: expression of cell adhesion molecules. 758 30

Differential antibody reactivity has been used to identify molecules which change in expression or which are modified during tumor progression in human malignant melanoma. Such molecules may play a role in the development of the metastatic capacity of this tumor. Two of these molecules (ICAM-1 and MUC18) have been identified as cell adhesion molecules which are potentially involved in tumor-leukocyte-endothelial interactions.
Invasion Metastasis
PMID:Identification of molecules associated with the development of metastasis in human malignant melanoma. 765 7

The expression of the glycoprotein MUC18 in melanoma biopsies has previously been shown to increase with increasing tumour thickness, and thus to correlate with the probability of metastasis development. We have examined the expression of this molecule by nine human melanoma cell lines with known metastatic ability (both spontaneous and experimental) in nude mice. Examination of the expression of both the MUC18 mRNA and of the glycoprotein on the cell surface revealed a statistically significant correlation (P = 0.040) between its expression and the ability to form metastases in vivo. Although MUC18 shows sequence similarity to neural cell adhesion molecules, no correlation was observed between the site of origin of the metastatic lesions (brain, lymph node) and MUC18 expression.
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PMID:Direct correlation between MUC18 expression and metastatic potential of human melanoma cells. 847 35

Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and mucin isotype MUC18 were originally identified as melanoma progression antigens by monoclonal antibodies (MAb) generated in a search for molecules expressed by melanomas but not detectable on benign naevi. As MAb detect single epitopes whose accessibility may be modulated, a new panel of antibodies directed against distinct epitopes and reacting with denatured nonglycosylated antigen as well as native antigen were used to examine expression of these molecules on melanocytic lesions. The antibodies were analysed in a binding inhibition assay and divided into groups defining independent epitopes. Three anti-ICAM-1 and four anti-MUC18 antibodies representing these groups were then tested on frozen sections of 10 benign naevi and 10 melanoma lymph-node metastases. The anti-ICAM-1 antibodies demonstrated concordant reactivities on both the malignant and benign lesions and reacted with all samples suggesting that antibodies that detect differences in ICAM-1 expression between these two lesions detect altered epitopes. Three of the four antibodies directed to MUC18 showed concordant reactivities and indicated that this molecule was expressed in nine melanomas and three naevi. However, one antibody (MUC18BA.3) reacted strongly with all lesions indicating either crossreactivity with another melanocyte molecule or the expression of a different form of MUC18 on naevi.
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PMID:Analysis of the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and MUC18 on benign and malignant melanocytic lesions using monoclonal antibodies directed against distinct epitopes and recognizing denatured, non-glycosylated antigen. 957 20

Expression of HLA class I molecules is essential for the recognition of tumor cells by CD8+ T cells. In this study, 48 bioptic samples of 42 patients in all stages of melanoma were investigated after short-time cultivation of tumor cells. To confirm melanocytic origin of cultured cells, samples were screened for mRNA expression of melanoma markers gp100, tyrosinase, MAGE-3, MelanA, and MUC18 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Surface expression of specific HLA-A and -B allospecificities on melanoma cells were analyzed with a standard microcytotoxicity assay after stimulation with interferon (IFN)-alpha and compared with the background found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the corresponding patients. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry confirmed specific losses in cases where the appropriate monoclonal antibodies were available. The level of expression of HLA-I, HLA-II, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 antigens on melanoma cells cultured in the presence or absence of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma was determined cytofluorometrically. All cell cultures tested were found to be positive for one or more melanocytic markers by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The specific HLA-I alleles on the cultured cells were detectable in 45 of 48 samples. In 11 cases a specific loss of one HLA-I allele was observed (2 x A2, B7, B8, B18, 4XB44, B47, B49). Ten of these samples were derived from locoregional lymphnode metastases or from distant metastatic tumors. Only one sample from a primary melanoma showed a specific loss of HLA-I (B47). IFN-alpha upregulated expression of HLA-I up to 4-fold. IFN-gamma enhanced the appearance of HLA-II up to 35-fold and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 up to 40-fold. Selective loss of HLA-I allospecificities might be a major step in tumor progression.
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PMID:Higher frequency of selective losses of HLA-A and -B allospecificities in metastasis than in primary melanoma lesions. 974 Feb 47

Cell adhesion molecules belonging to the integrin, cadherin and immunoglobulin superfamilies have been implicated in tumor progression in cutaneous melanoma. Expression of the alpha v beta 3 integrin first appears with the change from radial to vertical growth, a step which is associated with the development of metastatic potential. VLA-4 expression is characteristic of advanced primary tumors and may mediate interaction of the tumor cells with VCAM-1 on vascular endothelium. Expression of these integrins is a marker of poor prognosis in patients and can confer invasive (alpha v beta 3) and metastatic (VLA-4) properties to human melanoma cells injected into nude mice. Expression of the immunoglobulin superfamily molecules MUC18/MCAM and ICAM-1 are associated with primary tumors and metastases. MUC18/MCAM expression confers metastatic potential and increased tumorigenicity to human melanoma cells. Expression of ICAM-1 has been shown to be a marker of poor prognosis in stage I tumors and interfering with its expression inhibits experimental metastasis by melanomas in nude mice. E-cadherin is used by epidermal melanocytes to interact with neighboring keratinocytes. Changes in E-cadherin expression and cellular localization is first observed in the radial growth phase, the earliest stage in melanoma development. Loss of E-cadherin function is associated with upregulation or induction of MUC18/MCAM and alpha v beta 3 in melanocytic cells in vitro and with alterations in the levels and cellular distribution of the transcriptional regulator beta-catenin in melanomas in vivo. These observations suggest that disturbances in E-cadherin function is not only important in carcinomas but may also be a critical event in melanoma tumor progression.
Cancer Metastasis Rev 1999
PMID:Cell adhesion molecules in the development and progression of malignant melanoma. 1072 89

We previously demonstrated that expression of the cell surface adhesion molecule MCAM/MUC18 correlates directly with the metastatic potential of human melanoma cells. In addition, the progression of human melanoma towards the metastatic phenotype is associated with loss of expression of the tyrosine-kinase receptor c-KIT. This review summarizes our recent data demonstrating that the expression of both genes is regulated by the AP-2 transcription factor. Moreover, we have observed a loss of AP-2 expression in metastatic melanoma cells. Re-expression of AP-2 in the highly metastatic A375SM cells decreased their tumorigenicity and inhibited their metastatic potential in nude mice. MCAM/MUC18 mRNA and protein expression was significantly downregulated while c-KIT expression was upregulated in the AP-2 transfected cells. Since AP-2 also regulates other genes that are involved in the progression of human melanoma such as E-cadherin, MMP-2, p21WAF-1, HER-2, BCL-2, and insulin like growth factor receptor-1, we propose that loss of AP-2 is a crucial event in the development of malignant melanoma.
Cancer Metastasis Rev 1999
PMID:Role of AP-2 in tumor growth and metastasis of human melanoma. 1072 91


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