Circulating melanoma-associated antigens in ocular melanoma.

A pilot study was performed to test for melanoma-associated antigens (MAAgs) in the sera of patients with localized uveal melanoma, using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs). Both whole sera and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2.5% serum precipitates from 18 patients with clinically localized uveal melanoma and two patients with localized invasive conjuctival melanoma were analyzed for two human cutaneous MAAgs by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These antigens could not be identified when whole sera were used. However, after PEG precipitation, a MoAb specific for the p210 MAAg reacted with four of 20 patient samples and none of 17 controls. A second MoAb specific for the p97a MAAg reacted with one of 20 patients and none of 17 controls. These findings indicate the existence of antigens common to both uveal and cutaneous melanoma and suggest that the refinement of assays to screen sera with a battey of MoAbs may be of value in diagnosing and/or monitoring patients with uveal melanoma. Circulating immune complexes were detected in the sera of six patients but did not correlate with any clinical features or with the presence or absence of detectable MAAgs.