title: High expression of FOXP3 in primary melanoma is associated with tumour progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The antitumour immune response plays an important role in the prognosis of melanoma. High numbers of circulating regulatory T cells have been associated with rapid disease progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of forkhead box protein (FOXP)3, CD1a and langerin expression on the prognosis of primary melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 185 primary melanomas by immunohistochemical staining for expression of the regulatory T-cell marker FOXP3 and the dendritic cell markers langerin and CD1a, and correlated marker expression with clinical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly longer in patients expressing low levels of FOXP3 in the primary melanoma, whereas they were associated with high expression of CD1a. The negative prognostic value of FOXP3 expression was independent of the Breslow tumour thickness. Langerin expression did not correlate with the clinical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High expression of FOXP3 in the primary melanoma may be used as an additional independent prognostic marker for early tumour progression in patients with melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Münst
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlapbach
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shafighi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kiermeir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hüsler
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hunger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018949:Antigens, CD1; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C419393:CD1a antigen; C121916:CD207 protein, human; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins