title: Clinical and prognostic significance of survivin, AKT and VEGF in primary mucosal oral melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate survivin, AKT and VEGF expression in primary mucosal oral melanoma and explore their correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty malignant primary oral melanomas were immunostained with antibodies against survivin, AKT, VEGF, CD34. Histological parameters and disease-specific survival were related to marker expressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survivin localization was both nuclear and cytoplasmic with a higher expression of nuclear survivin. High melanocyte survivin expression significantly correlated with higher thickness of primary melanoma. A significant positive correlation was found between melanocyte survivin and phospho Akt and VEGF expression. Survivin was significantly associated with the presence of metastasis. High melanocyte survivin and high endothelial VEGF expression were inversely correlated to both overall and disease-specific 5-year survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivin, via AKT and VEGF, seems to play an important role in oral melanoma and could represent an important prognostic marker of melanoma progression.
authors: Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Dermatology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy o.simonetti@univpm.it.
authors: Oriana
authors: O
authors: Simonetti
authors: Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Histology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors: Guendalina
authors: G
authors: Lucarini
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health-Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors: Corrado
authors: C
authors: Rubini
authors: Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Histology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors: Raffaella
authors: R
authors: Lazzarini
authors: Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Histology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: DI Primio
authors: Department of Clinic and Molecular Sciences-Dermatology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors: Annamaria
authors: A
authors: Offidani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000077022:Survivin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: AKT; Survivin; VEGF; microvessel density; oral melanoma; prognostic factor