[Research of factors related to invasion and metastasis in choroidal melanoma].

Objective: To investigate the expression of factors related to invasion and metastasis in choroidal melanoma and to determine their relationships with malignant features.

Methods: The expression of Connexin43 (Cx43), epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in choroidal melanoma and nevi were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between these factors and clinicopathological features were analyzed.

Results: Positive rates of Cx43, E-cadherin, PI3K and CTGF were 74.07% (20/27), 44.4% (12/27), 74.07% (20/27) and 66.67% (18/27) in choroidal melanoma tissues, respectively; and 33.33% (5/15), 86.67% (13/15), 33.33% (5/15) and 20.00% (3/15) in the nevi tissues, respectively. There were significant differences in the expression of these markers between the two groups (χ(2) = 5.060, P = 0.024; χ(2) = 5.490, P = 0.019; χ(2) = 5.060, P = 0.024; χ(2) = 6.637, P = 0.010). The expression rates of Cx43 protein were 40% (4/10), 88.89% (8/9) and 100% (8/8) in spindle, mixed and epithelioid cell type, respectively. The expression of these data was related to histological type (χ(2) = 9.874, P = 0.007). The expression rates of PI3K protein were 42.86% (3/7), 75% (9/12) and 100% (8/8), in small, medium and large tumors, respectively, and their expression were co-related to the tumor size (χ(2) = 6.357, P = 0.042). Positive rates of Cx43, E-cadherin, PI3K and CTGF were 50% (6/12), 83.33% (10/12), 50% (6/12) and 41.66% (5/12), respectively, in choroidal melanoma tissues without sclera invasion and were 93.33% (14/15), 40% (6/15), 93.33% (14/15) and 86.67% (13/15), respectively, in choroidal melanoma tissues with violation involved the sclera. There were significant differences of the expression of these markers between the two groups (χ(2) = 4.457, P = 0.016; χ(2) = 3.546, P = 0.028; χ(2) = 4.457, P = 0.016; χ(2) = 4.218, P = 0.019).

Conclusion: Increased expression of Cx43, PI3K and CTGF and decreased expression of E-cadherin are involved in the processes of invasion and metastasis of choroidal melanoma.