title: Serum S100B and LDH are not useful in predicting the sentinel node status in melanoma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum S100B and LDH, as well as the status of the sentinel node, have been reported as prognostic markers in melanoma patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of serum S-100B and LDH in melanoma patients prior to sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) with respect to the clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum S100B and LDH were measured prior to SLND in 259 melanoma patients between 2000 and 2006. Upper institutional limits were 0.12 microg/l for S100B and 240U/l for LDH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up time was 27.1 months. The median S-100B value for SN-negative and SN-positive patients was 0.06 microg/l and 0.05 microg/l, respectively (p=0.291). Similarly for LDH, the values were 171.5 U/l and 166.5 U/l, respectively (p=0.763). Neither of the proposed markers were a statistically significant prognostic parameter for disease-free survival (DFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study neither serum S100B nor LDH prior to SLND were useful in predicting the histopathological status of the sentinel node. None of them correlated with DFS, DMFS or OS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital, Campus Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Egberts
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Momkvist
authors.forename: Jan-Hendrik
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Egberts
authors.forename: Katharina C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kaehler
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hauschild
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579160:S100B protein, human; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase