title: Expression and clinical significance of heparanase in neuroblastoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies indicate that heparanase (HPA), an endoglycosidase involved in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, is up-regulated in a variety of malignancies. However, the expression of HPA in neuroblastoma (NB), one of the most common extra cranial solid tumors in children, remains unknown. This study was undertaken to explore the expression and clinical significance of HPA in NB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression of HPA in 42 cases of NB. The relationships among HPA expression, international neuroblastoma staging system (INSS) stages, histopathological classification, and postoperative survival of the NB patients were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression rate of HPA in NB was 61.9% (26/42), mainly in the cytoplasm of neuroblastoma cells. The expression rates of stage 1-2, stage 3-4 and stage 4S were 35.7%, 80.0% and 62.5%, respectively. The differences between stage 1-2 and stage 3-4 were significant (P<0.01). The expression of HPA was significantly higher in the NB cases that had one of the histopathological factors: age more than 1 year (P<0.01), poorer differentiation (P<0.01), and higher mitosis karyorrhexis index (P<0.01). The survival time of HPA-negative patients was significantly longer than that of HPA-positive patients (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although these results indicate that heparanase might be correlated with development and progression of NB, a larger series of patients with a longer follow-up are probably needed to strengthen its role in assessment of NB prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Li-Duan
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qiang-Song
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Shao-Tao
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guo-Song
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jia-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D000099175:Heparanase
chemical_list: D005966:Glucuronidase; D000099175:Heparanase
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