N-myc Oncogene RNA Expression in Neuroblastoma

Tumor specimens from 33 patients with neuroblastoma were assayed for amplification of the N-myc oncogene and RNA expression to determine whether N-myc RNA expression levels correlated with N-myc gene amplification and clinical outcome. N-myc gene amplification was detected in one stage II tumor, one...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JNCI : Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1988-12, Vol.80 (20), p.1633-1637
Main Authors: Nisen, Perry D., G.Waber, Pamela, Rich, Mark A., Pierce, Sean, Garvin, James R., Gilbert, Fred, Lanzkowsky, Philip
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Gene Amplification
Humans
Infant
Male
Neuroblastoma - genetics
Neuroblastoma - mortality
Prognosis
Proto-Oncogenes
RNA - analysis
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Summary:Tumor specimens from 33 patients with neuroblastoma were assayed for amplification of the N-myc oncogene and RNA expression to determine whether N-myc RNA expression levels correlated with N-myc gene amplification and clinical outcome. N-myc gene amplification was detected in one stage II tumor, one stage IV–S tumor, and seven stage III or IV tumors. In each case, N-myc RNA expression roughly paralleled N-myc gene amplification. However, enhanced N-myc RNA expression was not confined to tumors with N-myc gene amplification: all of the early (stage I and II) tumors, five stage IV-S tumors, and 12 advanced (stage III and IV) tumors had levels of N-myc RNA that were elevated up to 50-fold. While N-myc gene amplification correlated with prognosis, there was no such correlation with levels of N-myc RNA expression. The precise role of the N-myc gene in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma remains unclear.
ISSN:0027-8874
1460-2105
DOI:10.1093/jnci/80.20.1633