High anaplastic lymphoma kinase immunohistochemical staining in neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma is an independent predictor of poor outcome.
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations occur in 3% to 11% of neuroblastoma (NBL) cases and are associated with high ALK levels. However, high ALK levels appear to be a mutation-independent hallmark of NBL. Evidence about the prognostic relevance of ALK mutations and ALK tumor positivity in patients with NBL has been inconclusive. In this study, we investigated the prognostic relevance of ALK positivity by IHC and ALK mutation status by PCR sequencing in 71 NBL, 12 ganglioneuroblastoma (GNBL), and 20 ganglioneuroma samples in a multivariate model. ALK mutations were present in 2 of 72 NBL and 2 of 12 GNBL samples, which all contained many ALK-positive cells (>50%). In addition, half of all NBL samples showed ALK positivity in most (>50%) of tumor cells, whereas half of the GNBL showed staining in <20% of the tumor cells. In most ganglioneuroma samples, a low percentage of tumor cells stained positive for ALK, which mainly involved ganglion cells. Higher percentages of ALK-positive cells in NBL and GNBL patient samples correlated with inferior survival in univariate and multivariate analyses with established prognostic factors, such as stage, age, and MYCN status. In conclusion, ALK positivity by IHC is an independent, poor prognostic factor in patients with GNBL and NBL. ALK IHC is an easy test suitable for future risk stratification in patients with NBL and GNBL.
Department of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Floor A M
FAM
Duijkers
Department of Pathology, University Medical Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
José
J
Gaal
Department of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jules P P
JPP
Meijerink
Department of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Pieter
P
Admiraal
Department of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Rob
R
Pieters
Department of Pathology, University Medical Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Ronald R
RR
de Krijger
Department of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.vannoesel@erasmusmc.nl.
Max M
MM
van Noesel
D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018305:Ganglioneuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D000071447:N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
C459801:MYCN protein, human; D000071447:N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases