Based on a potential binding site of MAb8-1, we identified, molecularly cloned, and sequenced the gene, encoding this melanoma-associated antigen from a uveal melanoma copy DNA library.
Based on a potential binding site of MAb8-1, we identified, molecularly cloned, and sequenced the gene, encoding this melanoma-associated antigen from a uveal melanoma copy DNA library.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether tyrosinase mRNA is detectable in the peripheral blood of patients with uveal and cutaneous melanoma and in patients with uveal melanoma undergoing surgical procedures on the eye harbouring the tumour.
The viability of reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction amplification of the tyrosinase gene to detect circulating melanocytes was examined as a first sign of dissemination from uveal melanoma.
Homozygous deletions of the CDKN2 locus were observed in 8 cases of cutaneous melanoma and 2 cases of uveal melanoma; mutations in CDKN2 exon 2 were found in 2 of the 46 cases with allelic deletion in 9p21.
Homozygous deletions of the CDKN2 locus were observed in 8 cases of cutaneous melanoma and 2 cases of uveal melanoma; mutations in CDKN2 exon 2 were found in 2 of the 46 cases with allelic deletion in 9p21.
In the present study we have investigated the expression of CD44 and the pattern of CD44 alternative splicing in uveal melanoma in relation to the cell type, diameter and invasiveness of the tumour.
Seven human uveal melanoma cell lines and two murine skin melanoma cell lines were subjected to Northern blot analysis for the detection of nm23-H1 mRNA and to immuno-histochemistry to detect nm23 antigen.
Transgenic mouse models developed using a tyrosinase promoter tagged with a mutated ras gene or SV40-Tag oncoprotein develop retinal pigment epithelium tumors that resemble uveal melanoma.
To further study the expression of VEGF in these tumor cells we performed Northern blotting on a retinoblastoma celline, Y79, and on an uveal melanoma celline, OM431.
We report the findings of a prospective study using fresh uveal melanoma where the DNA index (DI) and percentage of cells in S phase (%SPF) have been determined by flow cytometry in 51 patients with a minimum follow-up of 5 years.
Our data demonstrate that human uveal melanoma cell lines (isolated from primary choroidal or ciliary body melanomas and from foci of metastatic uveal melanoma to the liver), which contain predominant populations of cells that coexpress vimentin/keratins 8 and 18 (keratins 8,18) IFs, were 6-fold more invasive through collagenous extracellular matrices in vitro, compared with uveal melanoma cells expressing vimentin only, and were 8- to 13-fold more invasive than normal uveal melanocytes.
The primary uveal melanoma as well as the cell line showed a high expression of monomorphic and polymorphic HLA-A antigens, while metastases showed a high expression of monomorphic and a lower expression of polymorphic antigens.