title: Immunohistochemical analysis of metallothionein expression in malignant melanoma in Japanese patients.
abstract: Recently, Zelger et al. found that metallothionein expression in melanoma is a useful prognostic indicator in white patients. In this study, we evaluated metallothionein expression in patients with melanoma as a prognostic indicator. We studied the tumors of 44 patients with cutaneous melanoma seen in our clinic from July 1988 to August 1998. Twenty-five neoplasms were metallothionein-positive, and 19 were metallothionein-negative. Only 9 (37.5%) of 24 cases of level I through III melanoma were positive for metallothionein, but 16 (80%) of 20 level IV and V cases were positive. Eight (40%) of 20 cases of "thin" melanoma (thickness: < or = 1.5 mm) were metallothionein-positive, and 17 (70.8%) of 24 cases of "thick" melanoma (thickness: > 1.5 mm) were metallothionein-positive. These results indicate a strong correlation of metallothionein expression with the level of invasion and tumor thickness in melanoma. The survival distribution function curve (Kaplan-Meier) for metallothionein expression showed a much better survival rate in the metallothionein-negative group than in the metallothionein-positive group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Occupational Dermatopathology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D008668:Metallothionein