Gene expression profiling in uveal melanoma reveals two molecular classes and predicts metastatic death

Michael D. Onken, Lori A. Worley, Justis P. Ehlers, J. William Harbour

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

602 Scopus citations

Abstract

Melanomas are notoriously difficult to classify because of a lack of discrete clinical and pathological stages. Here, we show that primary uveal melanomas surprisingly cluster into two distinct molecular classes based on gene expression profile. Genes that discriminate class 1 (low-grade) from class 2 (high-grade) include highly significant clusters of down-regulated genes on chromosome 3 and up-regulated genes on chromosome 8q, which is consistent with previous cytogenetic studies. A three-gene signature allows biopsy-size tumor samples to be assigned accurately to tumor classes using either array or PCR platforms. Most importantly, this molecular classification strongly predicts metastatic death and outperforms other clinical and pathological prognostic indicators. These studies offer new insights into melanoma pathogenesis, and they provide a practical foundation for effective clinical predictive testing.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7205-7209
Number of pages5
JournalCancer research
Volume64
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 15 2004
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gene expression profiling in uveal melanoma reveals two molecular classes and predicts metastatic death'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this