This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ugurel, S. Articles by Reinhold, U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ugurel, S. Articles by Reinhold, U. Related Collections Commentary

Increased Soluble CD95 (sFas/CD95) Serum Level Correlates with Poor Prognosis in Melanoma Patients

Department of Dermatology, The Saarland University Hospital, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany

Functional impairment of the Fas/CD95 receptor-ligand system is associated with the development and progression of malignancies. One possible cause might be the inhibition of the formation of a functional Fas/CD95-FasL complex by soluble Fas/CD95 molecules (sFas/CD95). In the present study we determined sFas/CD95 serum concentration in 125 melanoma patients of different clinical stages of disease compared with 30 healthy controls using an ELISA. sFas/CD95 serum level was significantly elevated (P < 0.0005) in melanoma patients (mean ± SE = 8.60 ± 0.26 ng/ml) compared with healthy controls (mean ± SE = 6.27 ± 0.25 ng/ml). Univariate analysis revealed a correlation of sFas/CD95 serum concentration with advanced stages of disease (P = 0.009). Only a slight increase in sFas/CD95 serum level (P = 0.057) could be observed in regard to the tumor burden. Patients undergoing current treatment with cytostatics (n = 18) revealed a strong increase in sFas/CD95 serum level (P < 0.0005), whereas treatment with IFN- alone or combined with cytostatics (n = 19) showed no change in serum sFas/CD95 concentration. According to univariate analysis, elevated sFas/CD95 serum levels were associated with a poor overall (P < 0.005) and a progression-free (P < 0.0005) survival. Multivariate analysis revealed sFas/CD95 serum concentration as an independent predictive factor for progression-free (P = 0.011), but not overall (P = 0.078), survival. Our results show a prognostic relevance of serum sFas/CD95 in melanoma patients, indicating that the evaluation of sFas/CD95 serum level may be important for the selection of therapeutic strategies.

Commentary

Soluble Fas and Cancer

Laurie Owen-Schaub
Clin. Cancer Res. 2001 7: 1108-1109. [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Nadal, J. Maurel, R. Gallego, A. Castells, R. Longaron, M. Marmol, S. Sanz, R. Molina, M. Martin-Richard, and P. Gascon FAS/FAS Ligand Ratio: A Marker of Oxaliplatin-Based Intrinsic and Acquired Resistance in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Clin. Cancer Res., July 1, 2005; 11(13): 4770 - 4774. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Hallermalm, A. De Geer, R. Kiessling, V. Levitsky, and J. Levitskaya Autocrine Secretion of Fas Ligand Shields Tumor Cells from Fas-Mediated Killing by Cytotoxic Lymphocytes Cancer Res., September 15, 2004; 64(18): 6775 - 6782. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. H. Igney and P. H. Krammer Immune escape of tumors: apoptosis resistance and tumor counterattack J. Leukoc. Biol., June 1, 2002; 71(6): 907 - 920. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]