title: Detection of transplacental melanoma metastasis using quantitative PCR.
abstract: To choose the most appropriate treatment for children affected by a transplacental metastasis, it is crucial to ascertain the maternal origin of the tumor. Up-to-date conclusive diagnosis is generally achieved through fluorescence in situ hybridization or karyotyping analysis. Herein, we report an alternative, reliable assay for rapidly defining vertical cancer transmission to the fetus by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Our assay indicates that quantification of the copy number of the sex chromosomes by specific short tandem repeats markers, in genomic DNA purified from the tumor biopsy cells, could be used to correctly evaluate transplacental metastasis events.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Unit daggerPathology Unit, Giannina Gaslini Children's Research Hospital, Genoa, Italy. rasoale@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raso
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mascelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nozza
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biassoni
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garaventa
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tarantino
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garrè
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cama
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capra
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012730:Sex Chromosomes; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences