title: Correlation of CD24 expression with histological grading and TNM staging of retinoblastoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Correlation of CD24 expression with histological grading and TNM staging of retinoblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, BMSI, JPMC and NICH from 1(st) January 2009 to 31(st) December 2013. A total 68 diagnosed cases of retinoblastoma were selected for CD24 immuno staining. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 22.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 68 cases 7.35% showed grade 1 followed by 11.76% in G2, 26.47% in G3 and 54.41% in G4. Majority of cases i.e. 60.29% in stage IV followed by 19.11% in stage I, 10.29% each in stage II and stage III. CD24 immuno staining positivity was seen in majority of grade 3 and grade 4. In grade 3, 38.88% showed moderate and 22.22% strong immuno reaction. Amongst grade 4, 40.54% showed moderate and 13.51% strong positive. Variable immuno pattern was observed according to TNM staging. In stage I, 46.15% showed moderate and 7.69% strong positivity, while in stage II, 57.14% were negative for saining. In stage III, 42.85% were negative while 28.57% each showed moderate and strong staining. Majority of cases in stage IV i.e. 48.78% were negative for staining while 34.14%, 17.07% showed moderate and severe CD24 immuno staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Majority of grade I retinoblastoma were in TNM stage I & II and mostly were immuno negative. Lymph node and distant metastatic cases were 75% in G4 and 25% in G3, all of them showed moderate to strong immunoreactivity. These results showed that CD24 expression may be a marker of poor prognosis in retinoblastoma. Whereas TNM staging of retinoblastomas with CD24 expression had varying pattern and showed no significant correlation between them.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Syed Muhammad Ishaque, MBBS, M.Phil, Consultant Pathologist, Bolan Medical Complex & Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta. Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Muhammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ishaq
authors.affiliation: Dr. Shahnaz Imdad Kehar, MBBS, M.Phil, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, BMSI, JPMC, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shahnaz Imdad
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Kehar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Shahid Zafar, MBBS, M.Phil, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Liaquat College of Medicines & Dentistry, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zafar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Syed Furqual Ul Hazan, MBBS, M.Phil, Associate Professor, NICH, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Furqan Ul
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hasan
keywords: Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 24; Histological grade; Retinoblastoma; TNM stage