title: Minimal residual disease is a prognostic marker for neuroblastoma with bone marrow infiltration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study focused on whether flow cytometry (FCM) detection of minimal residual disease in bone marrow (BM) could predict the outcome of patients with advanced neuroblastoma (NB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven stage 4 NB patients with BM infiltration were enrolled in this study. All of them received NB-2001 protocol. BM samples were examined for tumor cell contamination by both morphology and FCM with CD45-FITC/CD81-PE/CD56-PECy5 monoclonal antibodies cocktail at diagnosis and after 4 courses of chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BM samples of all patients were positive at diagnosis by FCM, and samples from 30 patients became negative after 4 courses of chemotherapy, 10 patients relapsed (33.3%) in mean 45.5 months, range 7 to 69. Another 27 patients remained positive, and 20 of them relapsed (74.1%) in mean 24.2 months, range 8 to 48. There was a statistically significant difference in event-free survival between the 2 groups (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persistence of minimal residual disease in BM may work as a chemotherapy response marker and predict the prognosis in advanced NB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, 1678 Dongfang Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiao-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Ci
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yan-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qi-Dong
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Huiliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jing-Yan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents