title: Clinical and prognostic relevance of serum S-100 beta protein in malignant melanoma.
abstract: To assess the clinical and prognostic relevance of serum S-100 beta in malignant melanoma serum levels of S-100 beta protein were measured in 84 patients with malignant melanoma. Using a cut-off value of 0.3 microgram/L the sensitivity was 0% (none of 36) in patients with stage II, 31% (four of 13) in patients with stage III and 69% (24 of 35) in patients with stage IV. In the reference group serum S-100 beta was below 0.3 microgram/L in all cases (specificity = 100%). A significant correlation existed between serum S-100 beta values and clinical staging as well as survival. In patients with distant metastases the serum concentration of S-100 beta protein correlated well with the number of affected organs. Serial measurement in these patients revealed that tumour progression was accompanied by rising S-100 beta values whereas declining values could only be revealed in one patient with a dramatic clinical response to therapy. Our results suggest that serum S-100 beta determination is a useful marker for the evaluation of prognosis in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and should be included in the clinical staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Diepgen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Von Den Driesch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011379:Prognosis; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins