The high level of hCDC10 gene expression in neuroblastoma may be associated with favorable characteristics of the tumor.
BACKGROUND
The biological behavior of neuroblastomas detected through mass screening (MS, </=1 year of age) and that of mass screening-negative later-presenting (MSN, >1 year of age) neuroblastomas have been reported to differ in many studies. To investigate the biological differences between these two groups, we analyzed the differences in mRNA profiles.


METHODS
We analyzed the mRNA profiles of MS and MSN neuroblastomas using differential display, and cloned and sequenced the bands differentially expressed between these two groups. Using the RNA analysis by polymerase chain reaction (RNA-PCR) method, the relative amount of mRNA in tumor tissue in each sample was measured. Associations between relative amount of mRNA and clinical and genetic variables related to patient prognosis and the effect of the level of mRNA expression on survival probability were investigated using statistical methods.


RESULTS
Using differential display and RNA-PCR, we found that the mRNA for the human homologue of the yeast cdc10 gene (hCDC10) identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was expressed at a higher level in the MS group of patients than in the MSN group of patients (0.554 +/- 0.197 for MS neuroblastoma, n = 24 and 0.244 +/- 0.179 for MSN neuroblastoma, n = 10, P < 0.01), and this difference was suggested to be independent of the histologic subtype of tumor. A high level of hCDC10 mRNA expression in neuroblastomas (relative amount of hCDC10 mRNA > 0.35) was also suggested to be associated with younger age at diagnosis (</=1 year of age, P < 0.01), favorable clinical stage (I, II, and IVs, P < 0. 01), and favorable histology in the Shimada classification (P < 0. 01), whereas a low level of hCDC10 mRNA expression (relative amount of hCDC10 mRNA </=0.35) was suggested to be associated with the progression of clinical stage (P < 0.01) and N-myc gene amplification (>1 copy, P < 0.05). Patients with neuroblastomas with a high level of hCDC10 mRNA expression were suggested to have a better prognosis than those with a low level of hCDC10 mRNA expression (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
A high level of hCDC10 mRNA expression in neuroblastomas may be associated with favorable clinical and biological characteristics, and the expression of hCDC10 mRNA in neuroblastomas may affect the clinical and biological characteristics of this type of tumor.
Nagata
T
T
Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchikami-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0032, Japan. tnagata@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Takahashi
Y
Y
Asai
S
S
Ishii
Y
Y
Mugishima
H
H
Suzuki
T
T
Chin
M
M
Harada
K
K
Koshinaga
S
S
Ishikawa
K
K
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D058112:Septins; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C113158:SEPTIN7 protein, human; D058112:Septins