Phosphorylation of eIF4E serine 209 is associated with tumour progression and reduced survival in malignant melanoma.

Background: Melanoma is a disease that primarily arises in the skin but is a derivative of the neural crest. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) regulates translation of multiple malignancy-associated mRNAs and is overexpressed in many epithelial tumours. However, expression in human tumours derived from the neural crest is unknown. Here, we determined the association of eIF4E and phospho-eIF4E expression in melanocytic lesions with malignant conversion, metastatic potential and patient survival.

Methods: Archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded surgical specimens from 114 patients with melanocytic lesions were stained immunohistochemically for eIF4E and phospho-eIF4E and evaluated semiquantitatively. The relationship between cytoplasmic and nuclear eIF4E and phospho-eIF4E protein expression, melanocytic lesion subtype and tumour progression was determined. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazard regression were performed.

Results: Increased eIF4E and phospho-eIF4E expression was highly associated with malignancy (P<0.0001). High nuclear phospho-eIF4E was associated with synchronous or future metastasis (P=0.0059). Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated highly significant associations between high histoscores for cytoplasmic and nuclear phospho-eIF4E and reduced survival in all patients (P=0.0003 and 0.0009, respectively).

Conclusions: Increased melanoma expression of eIF4E and phospho-eIF4E is associated with metastatic potential, reduced survival and increased risk of death.