title: Expression of the metastasis suppressor BRMS1 in uveal melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the expression of breast metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) in human uveal melanoma (UM) tissues and cell lines. In addition, we intend to establish a possible association between BRMS1 expression and the presence of metastatic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from enucleated eyes of patients with UM were immunostained. Clinical-pathological data were obtained, including age, tumour location, largest dimension, cell type, and occurrence of metastasis. The expression of BRMS1 mRNA in four human UM cell lines was determined by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was assessed by immunocytochemistry and western blot. The association between BRMS1 immunostaining and location, largest tumour dimension, and tumour cell type was determined using the correlation coefficient test. The association between BRMS1 immunostaining and the incidence of metastasis was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 31 cases of UM, 24 (77.42%) stained positive and seven (22.58%) negative for BRMS1. From the positively stained tumours, 21 (87.50%) showed cytoplasmatic staining. Macrophages were usually positive when present in the tumour and staining intensity was generally higher than in UM cells. BRMS1 mRNA was present in all four human UM cell lines, as well as cytoplasmatic immunoexpression of BRMS1. Immunoblotting showed variable BRMS1 protein levels between the different cell lines. No statistically significant correlation was found between BRMS1 protein expression and survival (P = 0.69), tumour cell type (P = 0.68), largest tumour dimension (P = 0.75), and tumour location (P = 0.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRMS1 is expressed in UM both at the mRNA and protein level; however, neither was associated with any of the prognosticor outcome parameters that we tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruna V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quezada
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Shawn C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Bruno F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Silvin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakalian
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: di Cesare
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Pathology, The Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Miguel N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Burnier
keywords: BRMS1; metastasis; metastasis suppressor gene; uveal melanoma