The presence of tyrosinase or MelanA/MART1 transcripts is an independent prognostic factor in patients with high-risk primary uveal melanoma for subsequent development of metastases and for survival and can be used to select patients for adjuvant treatment studies.
Transgenic mouse models developed using a tyrosinase promoter tagged with a mutated ras gene or SV40-Tag oncoprotein develop retinal pigment epithelium tumors that resemble uveal melanoma.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether tyrosinase mRNA is detectable in the peripheral blood of patients with uveal and cutaneous melanoma and in patients with uveal melanoma undergoing surgical procedures on the eye harbouring the tumour.
The viability of reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction amplification of the tyrosinase gene to detect circulating melanocytes was examined as a first sign of dissemination from uveal melanoma.