title: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) co-expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma lesions.
abstract: The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was investigated in 25 melanoma patients by evaluating 34 fresh biopsy specimens. ICAM-1 in situ hybridization and immunochemistry for ICAM-1 and GM-CSF were performed. Most of the metastatic melanoma samples (12 out of 18) and a few of the primary melanoma lesions (three out of 16) showed ICAM-1 expression. The expression of ICAM-1 was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in metastatic lesions than in primary tumours. GM-CSF mRNA and protein were detected in 10 of the 18 metastatic samples and in two of the 15 primary lesions. A significantly high degree (P < 0.0002) of concordance between ICAM-1 and GM-CSF expression was observed: the samples that were negative or positive for ICAM-1 expression were correspondingly negative or positive for GM-CSF. Correlation with clinical and histological parameters was examined. The expression of both molecules in metastatic samples was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) associated with a shorter recurrence-free period. These findings, if confirmed by a wider number of patients, could suggest the prognostic value of the simultaneous, and probably co-ordinated, expression of ICAM-1 and GM-CSF. They also highlight the importance of preventive molecular and biochemical characterization of neoplastic cell cytokine receptors, specifically focusing on the particular cytokine to be used as anticancer therapy and/or as adjunct to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Biologia e Genetica, Università degli Studi Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciotti
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cafiero
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rainero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sementa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolò
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagnasco
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi-Scarrà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor