title: Competitive polymerase chain reaction for the determination of N-myc amplification in neuroblastoma: report of clinical cases.
abstract: If an unfavorable prognosis is suspected in neuroblastoma, decision on a treatment protocol should be based on the N-myc copy number (12). We already demonstrated that the newly developed competitive polymerase chain reaction (competitive PCR) is a promising method for the determination of the N-myc copy number (6), and have started to use this competitive PCR procedure in neuroblastoma patients, together with fine-needle biopsy in selected cases. Seven children were studied. In one infant of 5 months of age whose tumor was diagnosed before undergoing mass screening for neuroblastoma, the competitive PCR procedure was performed with a fine-needle biopsy, and after obtaining a negative report on N-myc amplification within 48 hours, a regular protocol of treatment could be started without delay. We report that competitive PCR is a rapid and accurate method for the determination of the N-myc copy number, requiring only a small amount of material, and anticipate that competitive PCR will become the procedure of choice for the determination of N-myc copy number in neuroblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obana
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokomori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hemmi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimatake
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc