title: Prognostic value of S-100-beta serum concentration in patients with uveal melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In cutaneous melanoma, the S-100-beta serum level is recognized as a marker of metastatic disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether S-100-beta is present in the serum of patients with uveal melanoma and to test whether the serum concentration of S-100-beta is related to known clinical and histopathological prognostic factors in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The S-100-beta concentration was measured in serum samples collected from 64 patients with uveal melanoma before enucleation and from 58 healthy control subjects. A 2-site immunoluminometric assay was used to quantify the S-100-beta concentration in serum. S-100-beta concentrations in the serum from patients were compared with clinicopathological tumor variables, sex, occurrence of metastasis, and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven (57.8%) of 64 patients with uveal melanoma showed detectable levels of serum S-100-beta. There was, however, no significant difference between serum levels of patients and control subjects (P =.71). Statistical analysis showed no significant correlation between S-100-beta concentration and any of the clinicopathological tumor variables, occurrence of metastases, or survival. Only sex was correlated with S-100-beta serum levels, which was not observed in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study on patients with uveal melanoma, the S-100-beta serum concentration was not correlated with any investigated prognostic factor and was not of prognostic value itself. Female patients appeared to have higher S-100-beta concentrations than male patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guy S O A
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Missotten
authors.forename: Nancy E M L
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Catharina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Korse
authors.forename: H Monique H
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hurks
authors.forename: Didi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Wolff-Rouendaal
authors.forename: Jan E E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Keunen
authors.forename: Martine J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jager
authors.forename: Johannes M G
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bonfrer
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins