title: Melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis protein is expressed differentially in melanoma and melanocytic naevus, but similarly in primary and metastatic melanomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant melanoma is highly resistant to current treatments. The inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family member, melanoma IAP (ML-IAP), is overexpressed in some melanoma cell lines, rendering them resistant to apoptotic signals. Targeting ML-IAP is a promising approach to treating melanoma. However, the status of ML-IAP expression in human melanoma tissues and the difference in expression between melanoma and melanocytic naevus are not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate these issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  ML-IAP expression in 48 archived patient samples (34 melanomas and 14 dermal naevi) was assessed by immunohistochemistry and by in situ hybridisation and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays developed for the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of ML-IAP was detected in 47.6-70.6% (10 of 21 to 24 of 34) of the melanomas, varying with detection methods. The expression rate in melanoma was much higher than that in melanocytic naevus (10.0-21.4%; one of 10 to three of 14). No significant difference was seen between primary and secondary melanomas. ML-IAP expression rates assessed by the three methods were in agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ML-IAP expression rate in archived melanoma tissues is around 50-70%, with no difference between primary and secondary melanomas. A small number of dermal naevi ( approximately 20%) also expressed ML-IAP.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C419866:BIRC7 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm