title: Expression of PIWIL3 in primary and metastatic melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The PIWI-interacting RNA machinery in malignant melanoma (MM) has not been sufficiently studied. We aimed to investigate the PIWIL3 expression profiles in primary melanomas and metastases of MM including a correlation with clinical data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 161 primary melanomas, 45 lymph node metastases, and 16 distant metastases of 183 patients with MM. We used immunohistochemistry to assess PIWIL3 protein expression in situ. The relationship between the immunoreactivity of PIWIL3 and clinical data was statistically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a significantly (P = 0.000059) higher median immunoreactivity score in primary melanomas (4.9; range, 0.1-6), lymph node metastases (5.1; range, 3.3-6), and distant metastases (5.6; range, 4.5-6). PIWIL3 was expressed significantly higher (P = 0.0002) in primary nodular melanomas and acral melanomas (5.2; range, 3.4-6) when compared to other melanoma subtypes (4.7; range, 0.1-6). On univariate analysis, a significant positive correlation was observed between primary melanoma PIWIL3 expression and tumor thickness (r = 0.2; P = 0.014). On univariate and multivariate analysis, PIWIL3 did not prove to be an independent predictor for melanoma relapse or death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that PIWIL3 protein expression is elevated in more aggressive primary MM and metastatic disease. As also observed in other malignancies, PIWIL3 seems to play a role in MM progression.
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany. t.gambichler@klinikum-bochum.de.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gambichler
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kohsik
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Ann-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Höh
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Käfferlein
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Eggert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stockfleth
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stücker
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreißigacker
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Center of the Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef Hospital, Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C556794:PIWIL3 protein, human
keywords: Epigenetics; Melanoma; PIWI-interacting RNAs; PIWIL3; miRNA