Association of expression between N-myc gene and major histocompatibility complex class I gene in surgically resected human neuroblastoma.
Amplification of the N-myc gene in neuroblastoma correlates with advanced stage and poor prognosis. Association of the expression between N-myc and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes in 33 neuroblastomas obtained from Japanese children was investigated. Amplification of the N-myc gene was observed in two of five cases in Stage III, six of 11 cases in Stage IV, and one of five cases in Stage IV-S. In each case, the expression of N-myc gene was significantly increased. The expression was also increased in cases without amplification of the N-myc gene, the origin being from the suprarenal region. Expression of the MHC class I gene was significantly decreased in five of these nine with a high level of N-myc expression with amplification. These results suggest that the down-modulation of the MHC class I expression may be associated with the high level of expression and amplification of N-myc gene in the advanced stage of neuroblastoma.
Sugio
K
K
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nakagawara
A
A
Sasazuki
T
T
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology