Potential prognostic value of C-erbB-2 expression in medulloblastomas in very young children.
OBJECTIVE
The expression of the c-erbB-2 oncogene was studied in childhood medulloblastoma to evaluate its prognostic value, which has been claimed previously.


METHODS
Tumor material from 45 patients < 15 years old at diagnosis was studied using 3 monoclonal antibodies against the internal and external domains of the c-erbB-2 oncogene product.


RESULTS
Six of the 45 (13%) tumor specimens were found to be positive. C-erbB-2 expression was found more often in patients < 3 years old at diagnosis (4 of 15 patients, 27%) than in older patients (2 of 30, 6.6%). During the follow-up period (5.8 +/- 2.8 years) all patients with c-erbB-2 expression died of disease (after 1.2 +/- 0.7 years). Kaplan-Meier estimation revealed a highly significant correlation of c-erbB-2 expression and survival (p = 0.002). A further study of the expression of synaptophysin and the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the 45 tumors revealed a negative correlation of the expression of c-erbB-2 and these proteins.


CONCLUSIONS
C-erbB-2, which may be predominantly expressed by less differentiated tumors, was found to delineate a poorer prognostic subgroup, especially when diagnosed in patients < 3 years old.
Herms
J W
JW
Department of Neuropathology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany.
Behnke
J
J
Bergmann
M
M
Christen
H J
HJ
Kolb
R
R
Wilkening
M
M
Markakis
E
E
Hanefeld
F
F
Kretzschmar
H A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases