title: Prognostic significance of L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) expression in cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: Amino acid transporters play a crucial role in the development and invasiveness of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whether or not the expression of L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) has prognostic significance in patients with cutaneous melanoma. A total of 128 patients with cutaneous melanoma were evaluated. Tumor sections were stained by immunohistochemistry for LAT1, CD98, Ki-67, and microvessel density determined by CD34 and p53. We also analyzed 30 specimens of patients with melanocytic nevi as negative controls. LAT1 and CD98 were highly expressed in 58% (75/128) and 75% (97/128), respectively. The rates of positivity for LAT1 in the melanocytic nevi were 0% (0/30). The expression of LAT1 was associated significantly with tumor thickness, T factor, CD98 expression, cell proliferation (Ki-67), and microvessel density (CD34). By Spearman's rank test, LAT1 expression was correlated with CD98, Ki-67, and CD34. By univariate analysis, tumor thickness, ulceration, disease staging, LAT1, and CD34 showed a significant relationship with overall survival and disease-free survival. Furthermore, a multivariate analysis confirmed that LAT1 was an independent prognostic factor for predicting a poor prognosis. This study had a small sample size. LAT1 can serve as a significant prognostic factor to predict a poor outcome and it may therefore play an important role in the aggressiveness of cutaneous melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Departments of aDermatology bOncology Clinical Development cDiagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine dDiagnostic Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma eAdvanced Clinical Research Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima fDivision of Bio-system Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaira
authors.forename: Madoka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oriuchi
authors.forename: Shushi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagamori
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Tetsunari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D027261:Fusion Regulatory Protein-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D027283:Large Neutral Amino Acid-Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D027261:Fusion Regulatory Protein-1; D027283:Large Neutral Amino Acid-Transporter 1