Serum gp100 as an Independent Prognostic Biomarker in Early-Stage Uveal Melanoma

To evaluate the prognostic significance of serum gp100 levels in patients with uveal melanoma (UM) without detectable metastases at diagnosis.

This prospective study included 37 patients with UM and no clinical evidence of metastasis at baseline. Serum gp100 concentration was quantified using a commercial ELISA kit. Tumors were molecularly profiled and categorized into high- or low-risk classes. Patients were stratified based on the median gp100 concentration (1.23 ng/mL). Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates, and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of metastasis.

During a mean follow-up of 24.6 months, 14 patients (37.8%) developed metastases. Patients with baseline gp100 >1.23 ng/mL had significantly shorter metastasis-free survival (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.89, with a cutoff of 1.387 ng/mL, achieving 85.7% sensitivity and 82.6% specificity. In multivariate analysis, serum gp100 remained an independent predictor of metastasis (odds ratio = 3849.9; 95% confidence interval, 9.66-1,534,206; P = 0.007), regardless of molecular classification. No significant correlations were found between gp100 and clinical or genetic parameters.

Elevated serum gp100 is an independent biomarker of early metastatic risk in UM, even in the absence of clinical or genetic high-risk features. ELISA-based measurement of gp100 may support noninvasive stratification and personalized surveillance strategies in clinical practice.