Molina-García Manuel, Rojas-Lechuga María Jesús, Torres Moral Teresa, Bagué Jaume, Mateu Judit, Langdon Cristóbal, Lop Joan, Gonçalves de Souza Vinícius, Alós Llúcia, López-Chacón Mauricio, Podlipnik Sebastian, Carrera Cristina, Malvehy Josep, Alobid Isam, da Silva-Júnior Rui Milton Patricio, Puig Susana
Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
University of Barcelona (UB), 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
Cancers (Basel). 2024 Dec 14;16(24):4172. doi: 10.3390/cancers16244172.
: Sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) is a rare and aggressive melanoma subtype with a notably poor prognosis compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM). Despite advances in molecular characterization, SNMM remains underexplored, posing a clinical challenge and highlighting the need for detailed molecular profiling. This study aimed to identify the molecular features of SNMM, elucidate its clinical behavior and prognostic implications, and provide insights for improved therapeutic strategies. : This retrospective study analyzed 37 primary melanoma tumors diagnosed at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Gene expression was examined using 1402 immuno-oncology-related probes through next-generation sequencing. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and the xCell algorithm were performed. The statistical methods comprised descriptive statistics, clinical variable associations, and survival analyses. : HCA revealed two primary clusters. Cluster A exclusively contained CM tumors (20/24), while cluster B included all SNMMs (13/13) and some CMs (4/24). Cluster B showed a higher average age at diagnosis ( = 0.018), higher mitotic index ( = 0.0478), fewer mutations ( = 0.0017), and poorer melanoma-specific survival ( = 0.0029). Cluster B showed 602 DEGs with cell cycle pathways enriched, immune pathways diminished, lower immune scores ( < 0.0001), and higher stromal scores ( = 0.0074). : This study revealed distinct molecular characteristics and an altered tumor microenvironment in SNMMs and certain aggressive CMs. Identifying specific genes and pathways involved in cell cycle progression and immune evasion suggests potential prognostic markers, offering new avenues for enhancing treatment strategies and improving patient survival rates.
鼻窦黏膜黑色素瘤(SNMM)是一种罕见且侵袭性强的黑色素瘤亚型,与皮肤黑色素瘤(CM)相比,其预后明显较差。尽管在分子特征研究方面取得了进展,但SNMM仍未得到充分探索,这构成了一项临床挑战,并凸显了进行详细分子剖析的必要性。本研究旨在确定SNMM的分子特征,阐明其临床行为和预后意义,并为改进治疗策略提供见解。 这项回顾性研究分析了在巴塞罗那医院诊所诊断出的37例原发性黑色素瘤肿瘤。通过下一代测序使用1402个免疫肿瘤学相关探针检测基因表达。进行了层次聚类分析(HCA)、差异表达基因(DEG)分析、基因集富集分析(GSEA)和xCell算法。统计方法包括描述性统计、临床变量关联分析和生存分析。 HCA显示出两个主要聚类。聚类A仅包含CM肿瘤(20/24),而聚类B包括所有SNMM(13/13)和一些CM(4/24)。聚类B显示出诊断时的平均年龄较高( = 0.018)、有丝分裂指数较高( = 0.0478)、 突变较少( = 0.0017)以及黑色素瘤特异性生存率较低( = 0.0029)。聚类B显示出602个DEG,其细胞周期途径富集,免疫途径减少,免疫评分较低( < 0.0001),基质评分较高( = 0.0074)。 本研究揭示了SNMM和某些侵袭性CM中独特的分子特征以及改变的肿瘤微环境。确定参与细胞周期进展和免疫逃逸的特定基因和途径提示了潜在的预后标志物,为加强治疗策略和提高患者生存率提供了新途径。