Detection of melanoma cells in peripheral blood stem cell harvests of patients with progressive metastatic malignant melanoma.
The detection of melanocyte-specific messenger RNA in patients with malignant melanoma suggests the potential contamination of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvests by neoplastic cells. In this study, the melanocyte-specific transcripts of tyrosinase and Melan-A/MART-1 were used to detect neoplastic cells in PBSC harvests of nine metastatic malignant melanoma patients. Only one patient's PBSC harvest tested positive for tyrosinase. All harvests were negative for Melan-A/MART-1. Our results suggest that contamination of PBSC harvests with neoplastic cells may not contribute to disease progression following high-dose chemotherapy in advanced malignant melanoma.
Probst-Kepper
M
M
Department of Haematology and Oncology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
Schrader
A
A
Buer
J
J
Grosse
J
J
Volkenandt
M
M
Illiger
H J
HJ
Metzner
B
B
Kadar
J
J
Duensing
S
S
Hertenstein
B
B
Ganser
A
A
Atzpodien
J
J
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor