Conjunctival melanoma: association of cyclooxygenase‐2 tumour expression to prognosis

Abstract

Purpose Conjunctival melanoma is a rare but potentially lethal tumour. Its biologic profile is still largely unknown, with recent studies aiming at establishing histopathological and genetic tumour profiles. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between clinicopathological characteristics and tumour expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) to prognosis, assessing its usefulness as a possible prognostic marker. Methods Case series of 50 patients from 1991 to 2008 with pathologically proven conjunctival melanoma. Demographic, clinical and pathological characteristics were evaluated by reviewing clinical files and pathology. Expression of COX‐2 was studied by immunohistochemistry of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue samples of 20 melanomas. Samples were classified in a score which included intensity of staining and percentage of cells with positive reactivity. Results Clinicopathological features significantly associated (p < .05) with a poor prognosis (death) included involvement of fornix and tarsal conjunctiva, tumour thickness exceeding 2 mm, local tumour recurrence, lymph node and systemic metastasis. In the immunohistochemistry study (n = 20) all cases expressed COX‐2 although with different scores. However, only cases with score 4 were associated with a poor outcome. Multivariate association analysis revealed that recurrence rate, metastasis, corneal invasion and tumour thickness were associated with score 4 cases and, therefore, with a clinical profile with a higher risk of death. Conclusions Results suggest that higher COX‐2 expression may be a negative prognostic factor in conjunctival melanoma. Further studies can address the potential use of anti‐COX‐2 drugs as adjuvant therapy of this disease.

Microfitoplâncton na Baía de Todos Os Santos (Brasil): Composição, diversidade e abundância em um curto período de tempo

“…Kent. Com exceção de D. caudata, que é uma espécie potencialmente tóxica (Reguera et al, 2014), todas as demais são classificadas como potencialmente nocivas, pela capacidade de produção de elevada biomassa, capazes de provocar perdas na comunidade de peixes e invertebrados, pelo entupimento de brânquias ou depleção do oxigênio dissolvido na água (Moestrup et al, 2009;Proença et al, 2010). A exemplo de A. sanguinea, que já foi relatada causando uma floração nociva na BTS (Saraiva, 2008;Souza et al, 2008) e T. erythraeum, cujas florações têm sido registradas com uma certa frequência na costa Nordeste do Brasil (Satô et al, 1966, Medeiros et al, 1999, Siqueira et al, 2006, Carvalho et al, 2008, Proença et al, 2009Affe et al, 2016).…”