Abstract
We determined levels of N-myc oncogens amplification and RNA expression in two infants with stage IV-S neuroblastoma, a rare subtype with limited metastatic potential and generally favorable outcome. Patient 1, age 5 mo, had a primary adrenal tumor with bone marrow metastasis and unfavorable histologic features. Patient 2, age 9 mo, had a primary adrenal tumor with skin and marrow metastases of favorable histology. Southern blots of chromosomal DNA from tumors of both patients showed no amplification of N-myc. RNA from the primary tumor of patient 1 exhibited approximately 10-fold enhanced expression of N-myc compared to a neuroblasfcoma cell line known to express a single copy of N-myc (defined as baseline). RNA from the primary tumor and involved lymph node of patient 2 revealed baseline levels of N-myc expression; a subcutaneous nodule exhibited 5-fold enhanced levels of expression, while normal adrenal tissue had no detectable levels of expression. A cell line was established from tumor cells of patient 2; these cells appeared to differentiate more readily than cell lines from stage IV tumors. Patient 1 manifested disease progression 1 month after diagnosis, while patient 2 remains disease free. Molecular and cellular characterization thus predicted the biological behavior of the tumors in each case.
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Nisen, P., Garvin, J. MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY OF STAGE IV-S NEUROBLASTOMA. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 302 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00812
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00812