title: Detection of GD2-positive cells in bone marrow samples and survival of patients with localised neuroblastoma.
abstract: The impact of bone marrow (BM) GD2-positive cells on survival has been evaluated in 145 Italian children with localised neuroblastoma (NB) evaluated at diagnosis by anti-GD2 immunocytochemistry. Nineteen of these (13.1%) were found to be BM GD2-positive, with the number of positive cells ranging between 1 and 155 out of 1 x 10(6) total cells analysed. Seven/19 (38.8%) GD2-positive vs 12/126 (9.5%) GD2-negative patients relapsed. The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival of the GD2-positive patients was significantly worse than that of the GD2-negative ones (62.2 vs 89.9%, P<0.001; and 74.9 vs 95.9%, P=0.005, respectively). GD2 positivity was not associated to other known risk factors, and in particular to Myc-N amplification and 1p deletion. Among Myc-N-negative patients, the EFS of those negative for both GD2 and 1p deletion was significantly better than in children positive for either one of these two markers (EFS=96.9 vs 66.0%, P<0.001). In conclusion, GD2 positivity may represent a prognostic marker for patients with non-metastatic NB without Myc-N amplification, and its combination with genetic alterations might help identifying patients that require a more careful follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Oncology, Gaslini Institute, Largo Gaslini, 5, Genoa 16147, Italy. mariavaleriacorrias@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Corrias
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lacitignola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sementa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scuderi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carlini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faulkner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garaventa
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases; C023220:(N-acetylneuraminyl)-galactosylglucosylceramide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase