title: A stiff extracellular matrix is associated with malignancy in peripheral neuroblastic tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Improved prognosis for patients with peripheral neuroblastic tumors (PNB) depends on enhanced pretreatment risk stratification combined with research into new therapeutic targets. This study investigated the potential contribution of extracellular matrix (ECM) elements toward this endeavor.
  
  
  METHODS
  We characterized certain elements such as reticulin fibers, collagen type I fibers, and elastic fibers by digital pathology in almost 400 untreated PNB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A reticular and poorly porous ECM was identified in neuroblastomas (NBs) from patients with clinical and biological features associated with poor prognosis compared with a loose and permeable matrix found in NBs of the favorable cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aggressiveness patterns of ECM can be accurately determined by morphometric tools and could become candidate elements for novel therapies.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tadeo
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Berbegall
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Unit, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castel
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noguera
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
keywords: collagen fibers; elastic fibers; extracellular matrix; microscopic digital pathology; neuroblastoma; reticulin fibers