Premium
N‐ myc amplification and cell proliferation rate in human neuroblastoma
Author(s) -
Pession Annalisa,
Trerè Davide,
Perri Patrizia,
Rondelli Roberto,
Montanaro Lorenzo,
Mantovani Walther,
Derenzini Massimo,
Paolucci Guido
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199711)183:3<339::aid-path935>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - neuroblastoma , n myc , cell growth , biology , gene duplication , population , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , cancer research , pathology , cell culture , medicine , ganglioneuroma , gene , genetics , environmental health
In neuroblastoma, N‐ myc amplification has been found to be strikingly associated with rapid tumour progression and poor prognosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that cell proliferative activity also significantly predicts the clinical outcome in patients with neuroblastoma. In order to define the correlation between N‐ myc amplification and cell proliferation rate, in the present investigation the two parameters were first assessed in 48 neuroblastoma tumours. N‐ myc amplification was evaluated in frozen specimens by Southern‐blot analysis using the NB 19‐21 probe and it was detected in nine patients. Cell proliferative activity was determined by measuring the AgNOR protein area in histological sections selectively stained by silver. The mean AgNOR protein area value of neuroblastomas with N‐ myc amplification (3·63±1·62 μm 2 ) was not significantly different from that of neuroblastomas without N‐ myc amplification (2·46±1·57 μm 2 ; P =0·30). On the other hand, both N‐ myc amplification and AgNOR protein expression were found to be significantly related to the clinical outcome of the disease ( P <0·001 and P =0·0143, respectively; median follow‐up time=47 months; range 18–106 months). In a second set of experiments, the relationship between N‐ myc amplification and cell proliferation rate was assessed in seven established human neuroblastoma cell lines. N‐ myc amplification was found to be completely independent of the population doubling time (DT), which, on the contrary, was strictly related to the quantitative expression of AgNOR protein ( r =−0·947; P <0·001). Altogether, the present results indicate that N‐ myc amplification and cell proliferation rate are not interrelated in neuroblastoma, each representing an independent biological parameter of cancer cells associated with the clinical behaviour of the disease. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.