title: Differential expression of the retinoblastoma gene family members in choroidal melanoma: prognostic significance.
abstract: We evaluated 55 samples of choroidal melanoma managed by enucleation. Knowing that the immunohistochemical expression of the retinoblastoma gene family members Rb/p105, p107, and pRb2/p130 was inversely correlated with the degree of malignancy in at least some histological types, we investigated the expression of these three proteins in choroidal melanoma. We focused on the relationship between patient survival and the immunohistochemical detection of the retinoblastoma proteins. No correlation with clinical outcome was found for Rb/p105 and p107. However, we found pRb2/p130 to be an independent prognostic factor correlating positively or directly with patient survival times and indirectly or inversely with the degree of malignancy. Demonstration of the prognostic value of the immunohistochemical expression of pRb2/p130 is of significance, even if additional studies are required to confirm these data and to compare the prognostic value of pRb2/p130 immunodetection to that of other recently proposed markers, such as p53.
authors.affiliation: Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massaro-Giordano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
mesh_terms: D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D050720:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107; D050717:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; C493844:RBL1 protein, human; C493837:RBL2 protein, human; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D050720:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107; D050717:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130