Prognostic significance of EPHB6, EFNB2, and EFNB3 expressions in neuroblastoma.
BACKGROUND
EPH family receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligand ephrins play pivotal roles in development. High-level expression of transcripts encoding EPHB6 receptors (EPHB6), its ligands ephrin-B2 and ephrin-B3 (EFNB2, EFNB3) is predictive of favorable disease outcome of neuroblastoma (NB). When combined with TrkA expression, the expression of EPHB6, EFNB2, or EFNB3 predicts more accurately the disease outcome than each of the four variables alone.


METHODS
Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to assess the prognostic significance of EPHB6, EFNB2, EFNB3, and TrkA expressions in NB without MYCN amplification.


RESULTS
High-level expression of EFNB3 or TrkA predicted favorable NB outcome of NB without MYCN amplification (p < 0.03). As found in the general NB population, EPHB6, EFNB2, or EFNB3 expression in combination with TrkA expression was significantly predictive of the disease outcome of normal MYCN NB (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
EPHB6, EFNB2, and EFNB3 expressions may permit further refinement of the prognostic stratification of NB into favorable and unfavorable groups.
Tang
X X
XX
Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4318, USA.
Zhao
H
H
Robinson
M E
ME
Cnaan
A
A
London
W
W
Cohn
S L
SL
Cheung
N K
NK
Brodeur
G M
GM
Evans
A E
AE
Ikegaki
N
N
D002648:Child; D036389:Ephrin-B3; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D036224:Receptor, EphB4; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000235:genetics*; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family
D036389:Ephrin-B3; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D036224:Receptor, EphB4; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family