Automatic detection and genetic profiling of disseminated neuroblastoma cells.
BACKGROUND
Rare tumor cells circulating in the hematopoietic system can escape identification. On the other hand, the nature of these cells, positive for an immunologiCal tumor marker, cannot be determined without any genetic information.


METHODS
To overcome these problems a novel computer assisted scanning system for automatic cell search, analysis, and sequential repositioning was developed. This system allows an exact quantitative analysis of rare tumor cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood by sequential immunological and molecular cytogenetic characterization.


CONCLUSIONS
In that virtually all tumor cells in a mixing experiment could be recovered unambiguously, we can conclude that the sensitivity of this approach is set by the number of cells available for analysis. Sequential FISH analyses of immunologically positive cells improve both the specificity and the sensitivity of the microscopic minimal residual disease detection.
Méhes
G
G
Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), St. Anna Kinderspital, Vienna, Austria.
Luegmayr
A
A
Hattinger
C M
CM
Lörch
T
T
Ambros
I M
IM
Gadner
H
H
Ambros
P F
PF
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015342:DNA Probes; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000032:analysis; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation; D007211:Indoles / Q000032:analysis; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014314:Trisomy; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015342:DNA Probes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005732:Gangliosides; D007211:Indoles; C007293:DAPI; C019403:ganglioside, GD2; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate