title: Circulating melanoma cells and survival in metastatic melanoma.
abstract: A validated assay for the enumeration of circulating melanoma cells (CMCs) may facilitate the development of more effective therapies for metastatic melanoma patients. In this study CD146+ cells were immunomagnetically enriched from 7.5 ml of blood. Isolated cells were fluorescently stained with DAPI, anti-molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA), anti-CD45 and CD34 and Ki67. CMCs were identified as CD146+, HMW-MAA+, CD45-, CD34-, Ki67-/+ cells. Eighty-eight percent of spiked SK-MEL28 cells in 7.5 ml blood were recovered. In all 55 healthy donors ≤1 CMCs were detected in 7.5 ml of blood. A retrospective analysis was conducted comparing CMC counts and overall survival in 79 blood samples from 44 melanoma patients. CMCs ranged from 0 to 8,042 per 7.5 ml. Two or more CMCs were detected in 18 (23%) of the patients and 30-100% (mean 84%) of the CMCs expressed the proliferation marker Ki67. Patients with ≥2 CMCs per 7.5 ml of whole blood, as compared with the group with <2 CMCs, had a shorter overall survival (2.0 months vs. 12.1 months, P=0.001).
authors.affiliation: Veridex LLC, Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Connelly
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karydis
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clack
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: F A W
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Coumans
authors.forename: L W M M
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Terstappen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens