Prognostic significance of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 expression in human cutaneous melanoma.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is one of the most common and aggressive forms of human cancers and has a poor prognosis. Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been found in several human cancers and is thought to correlate aggressive disease and poor response. In this study, we investigated the clinical role of STAT3 and its natural inhibitor, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), in human cutaneous melanoma development and progression. Immunohistochemical analysis of pSTAT3, SOCS3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 expression was performed on 90 primary melanomas and 43 common melanocytic nevi specimens. The expression of STAT3 mRNA was further detected by in-situ hybridization in the same cohort of patients. The association of STAT3 mRNA, pSTAT3, and SOCS3 protein expression with clinicopathological parameters and patient survival was analyzed. Altered expression of STAT3 mRNA, pSTAT3, and SOCS3 protein was observed in melanoma specimens, compared with benign melanocytic nevi. High expression of pSTAT3 was correlated to large tumor diameter, depth of tumor invasion, tumor lymph node metastasis, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression, and poor patient survival. Decreased expression of SOCS3 was correlated to depth of tumor invasion, tumor lymph node metastasis, the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and pSTAT3, and poor patient survival. Moreover, the expression of pSTAT3 was conversely correlated to SOCS3 expression in melanoma. Our results indicate that deregulated expression of pSTAT3 and SOCS3 might possess potential roles in the development and progression of human cutaneous melanoma.