title: Correlation between insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 serum level and melanoma progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (IGFBP)-3 is the main carrier of circulating IGFs and the main modulator of their activity. IGFBP-3 controls cellular availability of IGFs, which cannot exert their pro-proliferative activity while bound to IGFBP-3. Proteolysis of IGFBP-3 is one mechanism to control IGF release. A reduction of serum IGFBP-3 levels and the associated increased availability of IGFs may represent a strategy whereby melanoma increases its metastatic potential.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to evaluate the correlation between the IGFBP-3 serum level and melanoma stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 41 patients, 24 male and 17 female, with median age of 60 years (range 24-80), affected by cutaneous melanoma. Blood samples were taken from each patient and IGFBP-3 serum levels were measured using Western blot analysis with commercial antibodies. Values were normalized using commercial IGFBP-3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The statistical analysis showed that full-size, glycosylated IGFBP-3 concentrations were significantly lower in the sera of patients with stage IV melanoma. Low serum levels of IGFBP-3 correlated with both disease progression and presence of disease at the time of sample collection. In patients who underwent follow-up visits with further collections of blood samples, the concentrations of glycosylated IGFBP-3 decreased only in those who showed progression of disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows only preliminary results on a limited number of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that there is a significant inverse correlation between the serum concentration of full-size, glycosylated IGFBP-3 and disease progression in patients with melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy. ilcapo75@gmx.net
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panasiti
authors.forename: Antimo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naspi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Devirgiliis
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Curzio
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roberti
authors.forename: Gianfranca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curzio
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calvieri
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Londei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3