Abstract
Purpose: :
A number of studies have shown associations between high levels of Insulin like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and metastatic Uveal Melanoma (UM). The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of IGF-1 in early detection of liver metastasis in patients with UM.
Methods: :
Levels of serum IGF-1 were analyzed by ELISA (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) for 118 subjects in 3 different groups: 55 UM patients who did not develop metastasis within 10 years from diagnosis (DF), 22 metastatic patients, and 41 healthy subjects. Matched pairs univariate analysis was performed for the following 22 metastatic patients' serums: 12 and 6 months before the diagnosis of metastasis and at the day of diagnosis. The levels of the biomarker were compared between the control group, DF group and metastatic UM patients' group by using ANOVA and student t-test.
Results: :
The mean±SD levels for the control, 10yDF, and metastatic groups were: 152.47±15.91, 115.18±13.78, and 96.31±21.59 ng/ml, respectively (p=0.0006). IGF-1 serum levels have been statistically significantly higher in the control group compared to both DF patients (p= 0.006) and metastatic UM patients (p=0.0003). In the matched pairs analysis the mean IGF-1 level increased from 12 months prior to diagnosis of liver metastasis to 6 months prior to diagnosis by 28.4% (p= 0.0193), and decreased from 6 months prior to diagnosis to the day of diagnosis by 10.7% (p=0.2435).
Conclusions: :
IGF-1 levels in UM patients were significantly lower compared to healthy subjects. Therefore, there is an association between low levels of serum IGF-1 and UM. During the year prior to the metastatic diagnosis, IGF-1 levels did not change along a clear trend. Consequently, IGF-1 failed as a predictive marker for metastatic UM.
Keywords: melanoma • oncology • tumors