Abstract:
Prognosis of malignant melanoma is worsened considerably by distant metastasis. Early treatment of this metastasis improves the likelihood of survival and long term prognosis. Therefore the aim of using protein S100 as tumor marker is the early detection of metastasis. For the protein S100 measurement in serum the luminometric Elecsys®S100-immunoassay was developed. In the underlying study the use of this test in the clinical routine was detemined. For its assignement regarding the follow-up of melanomas a good reproducibility, sensitifity and specificity are of vital importance. Another aim of the present study was to evaluate a suitable cut-off-value for the Elecsys®-assay. It was verified which cut-off-value and which coherent combination of sensitifity und specificity seems to be useful in the follow-up-examination of melanoma patients. The Sangtec®100-LIAmat-immunoassay, which is already in clinical use, served as reference test.
The Elecsys®S100-system used in this study works according to the sandwich-principle, in where 2 antibodies and 1 micro particle link up with the S100-protein and applying voltage then leads to a measurable chemoluminiscent emission. 944 samples of 449 patients of to the melanoma follow-up of the department of dermatology, Universitäts-Hautklinik Tübingen, were included.
Considering the results of both testing procedures, the measurements of the Sangtec®100 are 30% higher than those of the Elecsys®S100. It was conspicuous that 24,2% of Sangtec®100-measurements showed 0,00µg/l S100 as a result, whereas only 0,2% of the Elecsys®S100 showed that result. Proceed from the assumption that a healthy person physiologically contains low concentration of protein S100, the Elecsys®S100 is able to distinguish in the lower values range more precisely. The implication of which is not clear so far.
The Elecsys®S100-assay also showed a good reproducibility by changing of the test kit, recognisable due to the gradient of the regression lines as well as the corresponding correlation coefficient.
When determining the cut-off-value we laid emphasis on high specificity, to minimise falsely postitive test results. Therefore a cut-off-value of 0,1µg/l seems suitable, which combinates a specificity of 94% with a sensitifity of 41%.
At the recommended cut-off-value of 0,1µg/l the luminometric Elecsys®S100-immunoassay distinguishes itsself by good reproducibility, specificity and sensitifity. Therefore the Elecsys®S100 is a good testing procedure for measuring the protein S100 in follow-up of patients with malignant melanoma.