Clinical implications of minimal disease in the bone marrow and peripheral blood in neuroblastoma.
OBJECTIVE
In patients with neuroblastoma (NB), minimal disease (MD) in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) is thought to play an important role in metastasis. The current study was designed to evaluate the clinical implications of the detection of MD in NB at the initial diagnosis.


METHODS
Expression of the neuroendocrine protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA in BM and PB obtained from 18 patients with NB was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
MD was detected in the BM obtained from 4 of 14 localized NB patients and also in the PB from 2. However, it was found also in both the BM and PB obtained from all 4 patients with metastatic NB. Two of the 4 MD-positive patients with localized NB had metastatic recurrence after a complete tumor excision. They also had unfavorable biological prognostic factors compared with the other 2 who did not have recurrent disease.


CONCLUSIONS
MD detected by RT-PCR in the BM and the PB of patients with NB thus suggests a risk for metastatic disease, which in association with other unfavorable biological features may indicate a poor prognosis.
Shono
K
K
Pediatric Surgery, Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Tajiri
T
T
Fujii
Y
Y
Suita
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase