title: Micropthalmia transcription factor: a new prognostic marker in intermediate-thickness cutaneous malignant melanoma.
abstract: Micropthalmia transcription factor (Mitf) is involved in melanocyte development and differentiation. The current study was undertaken to determine whether there is a relationship between Mitf expression and survival in patients with intermediate-thickness (1.0-4.0 mm) melanoma. Original paraffin blocks or slides of the primary tumor were accessible in 63 such patients. Mitf expression was evaluated by immunocytochemistry and analyzed visually. Slides were graded as follows according to the percentage of cells whose nuclei stained positive for Mitf: (a) 0, 0%; (b) +1, 1-25%; (c) +2, 26-50%; (d) +3, 51-75%; and (e) +4, > 75%. Median follow-up was 50 months. Mean thickness was 2.2 +/- 0.7 mm. Mean overall survival was 171.90 +/- 13.12 months. Mean disease-free survival was 168.53 +/- 13.96 months. Fifty-two melanomas (82.5%) stained positive for Mitf. By univariate analysis, mean overall survival and disease-free survival in patients whose melanomas did not express Mitf were 80.89 +/- 17.98 months (median, 51 months) and 71.36 +/- 19.87 months (median, 40 months), respectively. This compares with 187.90 +/- 13.41 months (median, not reached) and 186.78 +/- 13.84 months (median, not reached), respectively, for patients whose melanomas expressed Mitf (P = 0.0086 and P = 0.0054). These findings persisted in multivariate analysis. In addition, patients with > 50% Mitf expression had significantly fewer nodal metastases after node dissection than patients with < or = 50% Mitf expression (P = 0.04). Our data suggest that Mitf may be a new molecular prognostic marker in patients with intermediate-thickness melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA. geosalti@uic.edu
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Salti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manougian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farolan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shilkaitis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Majumdar
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Das Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497234:MITF protein, human; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors