BACKGROUND: Circulating melanocytes can be detected in peripheral blood of @entity1 with @entity320 by means of @entity11442 messenger RNA amplification. In this study we especially examined peripheral blood from @entity1 with @entity320 before and after lymph node dissection for the detection of these circulating @entity320 cells. Indeed the presence of regional nodal metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors in @entity1 with @entity320 . @entity1 AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 20 normal @entity1 , 42 @entity1 with @entity320 and 23 @entity1 with @entity9910 . Twenty @entity1 with @entity320 were tested 3 days before lymph node dissection and 2    8 weeks after. To identify circulating melanocytes, we used coupled reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction to target @entity11442 messenger RNA. RESULTS: None of the 20 @entity1 with @entity320 had detectable circulating melanocytes before lymph node dissection. By contrast, 7 of them became transiently PCR positive in the 8 weeks following surgery. We observed no evidence of correlation between the presence of circulating melanocytes after lymph node dissection and the risk of relapse within 6 months after surgery or the presence of capsule breaking or the number of involved lymph nodes. Sixty-nine percent of stage III @entity1 and none of stage I @entity1 were found to have circulating melanocytes. DISCUSSION: Our study suggests that @entity320 cells could circulate transiently after lymph node dissection. Confrontation of our results with literature data, despite important discrepancies related in part to sensibility technique, shows that the presence of circulating @entity320 cells is correlated to the clinical stage. Prognostic value of these circulating cells need to be further assessed by prospective studies with large number of @entity1 and long follow-up.

[Detection of circulating neoplastic cells by reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction in XXXX ].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity9910 :: ('MESH:C563985', 'Disease') :: ['stage III melanoma'] @entity11442 :: ('7299', 'Gene') :: ['tyrosinase'] @entity320 :: ('MESH:D008545', 'Disease') :: ['stage II melanoma', 'melanoma', 'cutaneous melanoma', 'stage I melanoma', 'malignant melanoma']
@entity320 :: (MESH:D008545,Disease) :: ['melanoma']
