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A Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase–Polymerase Chain Reaction and Immunohistochemical Study

Vincenzo de Giorgi, MD; Carmelo Mavilia, PhD; Daniela Massi, MD; Alessia Gozzini, PhD; Palma Aragona, PhD; Annalisa Tanini, PhD; Serena Sestini, MD; Milena Paglierani, PhD; Vieri Boddi, MD; Maria Luisa Brandi, MD; Torello Lotti, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(1):30-36.

Objective  To evaluate estrogen receptor (ER) expression in human melanoma tissues and in the adjacent healthy skin with the aim of explaining whether the ER:ERβ expression ratio has a role in neoplastic progression.

Design  Prospective study.

Setting  Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Patients  Fourteen patients, 12 with cutaneous melanoma (6 women and 6 men) and 2 with melanocytic nevi (1 woman and 1 man).

Main Outcome Measures  Using quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis, we analyzed ER and ERβ messenger RNA (mRNA) and ERβ protein expression in cutaneous melanoma and in the healthy skin surrounding the lesions.

Results  All melanocytic lesions expressed detectable levels of ER and ERβ mRNA as well as ERβ protein. Dividing melanoma cases into 2 groups according to Breslow thickness, we found lower ER and ERβ mRNA levels and lower ERβ protein levels in thicker, more invasive tumors.

Conclusions  These observations suggest a role for ERs in the metastatic process of melanoma cells, pointing at the possibility of using ERβ expression as a prognostic indicator of melanoma. The possibility of distinguishing proliferative melanomas, which are associated with dismal prognosis, from the so-called dormant melanomas opens up novel avenues in tailoring individual treatments, as already happens for other tumors.

Author Affiliations: Departments of Dermatology (Drs de Giorgi, Sestini, and Lotti), Internal Medicine (Drs Mavilia, Gozzini, Aragona, Tanini, and Brandi), Human Pathology and Oncology (Drs Massi and Paglierani), and Public Health (Dr Boddi), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

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