Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the expression of p53  gene and the prognosis after local excision in uveal melanoma.
Materials and methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and Western blot were used to detect the expression of p53 in C918, MUM-2B, and D78 cell lines at the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. Immunohistochemistry staining was done in the tissues of 68 patients, which were diagnosed with uveal melanoma. Furthermore, the effects of p53 protein on the invasion abilities of both the cell lines were studied by transinfection of p53 small interfering RNA. The clinical and prognostic data regarding the effect of p53 protein on the patient’s prognosis were calculated and further analyzed by Kaplan–Meier univariate analysis method.
Results: The results of RT-PCR and Western blot revealed that p53 mRNAs were highly expressed in C918 and MUM-2B cells. The high expression rate of p53 among the 88 uveal melanoma tissues was 77.27%. Transinfection of p53 serine could inhibit the expression of p53 in uveal melanoma and the invasion ability of the cells. This study found that the high expression of p53 and the prognosis of uveal melanoma patients were statistically correlated.
Conclusion: The expression of p53 protein in uveal melanoma was unusual and was associated with the invasion ability of uveal melanoma. This indicates that the highest expression of p53 protein indicates worse prognosis of uveal melanoma patients.
Keywords: uveal melanoma, PCR, prognosis, Western blot, immunohistochemistry