Gene Expression Profiling in Uveal Melanoma Reveals Two Molecular Classes and Predicts Metastatic Death

摘要: Melanomas are notoriously difficult to classify because of a lack 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 discriminate class 1 (low-grade) from 2 (high-grade) include highly significant clusters down-regulated genes chromosome 3 up-regulated 8q, which is consistent with previous cytogenetic studies. A three-gene signature allows biopsy-size tumor samples be assigned accurately using either array or PCR platforms. Most importantly, this classification strongly predicts metastatic death outperforms other prognostic indicators. These studies offer new insights melanoma pathogenesis, they provide practical foundation for effective predictive testing.