Br J Ophthalmol 1997;81:240-246 ( March )

Laboratory science

Reassessment of the PAS patterns in uveal melanoma Alexander J E Foss,^a Robert A Alexander,^b John L Hungerford,^c Adrian L Harris,^d Ian A Cree,^b Susan Lightman^a

^a Department of Clinical Science, Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, ^b Department of Pathology, Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, ^c Oncology Clinic, Moorfields Eye Hospital, City Road, London EC1V 2PD, ^d Department of Oncology, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford

Correspondence to: Alexander Foss, Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham NG7 2UH.

Accepted for publication 15 November 1996

BACKGROUNDPrevious work has highlighted the prognostic importance of patterns of periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining (the Folberg patterns) in uveal melanoma. These patterns have been ascribed to blood vessels but the patterns are different from those seen with other staining techniques for blood vessels. It has recently been shown that microvessel density is the dominant prognostic factor in uveal melanoma. This study reinvestigates the nature and significance of the PAS patterns.
METHODSThe PAS patterns were compared with the patterns seen with conventional connective tissue stains and with the patterns seen in sections stained for the presence of blood vessels (by immunohistochemistry for factor VIII related antigen). The PAS patterns were determined on a panel of 117 cases of uveal melanoma. The prognostic significance of each of these patterns was determined and, as more than one pattern can exist in a tumour, principal components analysis was performed to determine the number of underlying factors.
RESULTSComparison of the PAS patterns with other stains demonstrates that they are based on connective tissue including fibrovascular tissue. Five of the nine PAS patterns carried prognostic significance on univariate analysis. Principal components analysis suggested that these patterns represented three underlying factors, which were tentatively identified as representing disordered growth (factor 1), emergence of rapidly growing subclones (factor 2), and section orientation (factor 3).
CONCLUSIONSThe PAS patterns are based on fibrovascular tissue and can be ascribed to three underlying factors. The first two of these factors carried prognostic significance and the first (disordered growth) retained independent prognostic significance in a multivariate Cox model which included microvessel density and tumour size.

---

© 1997 by British Journal of Ophthalmology
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• van Gils, W., Lodder, E. M., Mensink, H. W., Kilic, E., Naus, N. C., Bruggenwirth, H. T., van IJcken, W., Paridaens, D., Luyten, G. P., de Klein, A. (2008). Gene Expression Profiling in Uveal Melanoma: Two Regions on 3p Related to Prognosis. IOVS 49: 4254-4262 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Folberg, R., Leach, L., Valyi-Nagy, K., Lin, A. Y., Apushkin, M. A., Ai, Z., Barak, V., Majumdar, D., Pe'er, J., Maniotis, A. J. (2007). Modeling the Behavior of Uveal Melanoma in the Liver. IOVS 48: 2967-2974 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kilic, E., van Gils, W., Lodder, E., Beverloo, H. B., van Til, M. E., Mooy, C. M., Paridaens, D., de Klein, A., Luyten, G. P. M. (2006). Clinical and cytogenetic analyses in uveal melanoma.. IOVS 47: 3703-3707 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sandinha, M. T., Farquharson, M. A., McKay, I. C., Roberts, F. (2005). Monosomy 3 Predicts Death but Not Time until Death in Choroidal Melanoma. IOVS 46: 3497-3501 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Toivonen, P., Makitie, T., Kujala, E., Kivela, T. (2004). Microcirculation and Tumor-Infiltrating Macrophages in Choroidal and Ciliary Body Melanoma and Corresponding Metastases. IOVS 45: 1-6 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Al-Jamal, R.'a T., Makitie, T., Kivela, T. (2003). Nucleolar Diameter and Microvascular Factors as Independent Predictors of Mortality from Malignant Melanoma of the Choroid and Ciliary Body. IOVS 44: 2381-2389 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clarijs, R., Schalkwijk, L., Ruiter, D. J., de Waal, R. M. W. (2003). EMAP-II Expression Is Associated with Macrophage Accumulation in Primary Uveal Melanoma. IOVS 44: 1801-1806 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clarijs, R., Otte-Holler, I., Ruiter, D. J., de Waal, R. M. W. (2002). Presence of a Fluid-Conducting Meshwork in Xenografted Cutaneous and Primary Human Uveal Melanoma. IOVS 43: 912-918 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Boyd, S R, Tan, D S W, de Souza, L, Neale, M H, Myatt, N E, Alexander, R A, Robb, M, Hungerford, J L, Cree, I A (2002). Uveal melanomas express vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor and support endothelial cell growth. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 86: 440-447 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kivela, T., Eskelin, S., Makitie, T., Summanen, P. (2001). Exudative Retinal Detachment from Malignant Uveal Melanoma: Predictors and Prognostic Significance. IOVS 42: 2085-2093 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mäkitie, T., Summanen, P., Tarkkanen, A., Kivelä, T. (2001). Tumor-Infiltrating Macrophages (CD68+ Cells) and Prognosis in Malignant Uveal Melanoma. IOVS 42: 1414-1421 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clarijs, R., Schalkwijk, L., Ruiter, D. J., de Waal, R. M. W. (2001). Lack of Lymphangiogenesis Despite Coexpression of VEGF-C and Its Receptor Flt-4 in Uveal Melanoma. IOVS 42: 1422-1428 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Folberg, R., Hendrix, M. J. C., Maniotis, A. J. (2000). Vasculogenic Mimicry and Tumor Angiogenesis. Am. J. Pathol. 156: 361-381 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• McDonald, D. M., Munn, L., Jain, R. K. (2000). Vasculogenic Mimicry: How Convincing, How Novel, and How Significant?. Am. J. Pathol. 156: 383-388 [Full Text]  
• Makitie, T., Summanen, P., Tarkkanen, A., Kivela, T. (1999). Microvascular Density in Predicting Survival of Patients with Choroidal and Ciliary Body Melanoma. IOVS 40: 2471-2480 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Makitie, T., Summanen, P., Tarkkanen, A., Kivela, T. (1999). Microvascular Loops and Networks as Prognostic Indicators in Choroidal and Ciliary Body Melanomas. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 91: 359-367 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• RUMMELT, V., NAUMANN;, G. O H, FOSS, A. J E, CREE;, I. A, RUMMELT, V., NAUMANN, G. O H, FOLBERG, R. (1998). Reassessment of the PAS patterns in uveal melanoma. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 82: 101-101 [Full Text]