title: Circulating tumor cells detection and counting in uveal melanomas by a filtration-based method.
abstract: Uveal melanoma is one of the most deadly diseases in ophthalmology for which markers able to predict the appearance of metastasis are needed. The study investigates the role of circulating tumor cells (CTC) as a prognostic factor in this disease. We report the detection of circulating tumor cells by Isolation by Size of Epithelial Tumor cells (ISET) in a cohort of 31 uveal melanoma patients: we identified single CTCs or clusters of cells in 17 patients, while the control population, subjects with choroidal nevi, showed no CTC in peripheral blood. The presence of CTCs did not correlate with any clinical and pathological parameter, such as tumor larger basal diameter (LBD), tumor height and TNM. By stratifying patients in groups on the basis of the number of CTC (lower or higher than 10 CTC per 10 mL blood) and the presence of CTC clusters we found a significant difference in LBD (p = 0.019), Tumor height (p = 0.048), disease-free and overall survival (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we confirm the role of CTC as a negative prognostic marker in uveal melanoma patients after a long follow-up period. Further characterization of CTC will help understanding uveal melanoma metastasization and improve patient management.
authors: Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50134, Italy. cinzia.mazzini@unifi.it.
authors: Cinzia
authors: C
authors: Mazzini
authors: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50139, Italy. p.pinzani@dfc.unifi.it.
authors: Pamela
authors: P
authors: Pinzani
authors: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50139, Italy. francesca.salvianti@unifi.it.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Salvianti
authors: Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50134, Italy. cristian.scatena@email.it.
authors: Cristian
authors: C
authors: Scatena
authors: Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50134, Italy. mile.paglierani@gmail.com.
authors: Milena
authors: M
authors: Paglierani
authors: Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50134, Italy. francescaucci@gmail.com.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Ucci
authors: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50139, Italy. m.pazzagli@dfc.unifi.it.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Pazzagli
authors: Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università di Firenze, Firenze 50134, Italy. daniela.massi@unifi.it.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Massi