Circulating neuroblastoma cells detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA are an independent poor prognostic indicator in stage 4 neuroblastoma in children over 1 year

Purpose: In this prospective, multicenter study, the independent prognostic power of neuroblastoma cells defected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA wets evaluated, Patients and Methods: The clinical significance of disease detected by RT-PCR in peripheral blood from children at diagnosis was compared with established prognostic markers [ie, age, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), neuron-specific enolase, ferritin, and MYCN gene amplification] by multivariate analysis, The value of disease detection by RT-PCR during treatment and fallow-up was also examined. Results: TH mRNA was detected in peripheral blood from 33 of 49 (67%) children with stage 4 neuroblastoma > 1 year old at diagnosis and was a significant predictive factor for overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19 to 4.84, p = .014) and event-free survival(HR = 2.09, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.17, P = .034) in a multivariate analysis, Detection of disease in blood from clinically disease-free children was related to increased risk of death (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.42 to 4.55, P = .0014). Conclusion: TH mRNA in peripheral blood of children with neuroblastoma is a poor prognostic indictor, reflecting the propensity for dissemination via the bloodstream. When combined with a serum LDH > 1500 IU/L, this is the most powerful poor prognostic model at diagnosis for children > 1 year old with stage 4 disease. The detection of TH mRNA in peripheral blood from clinically disease-free children is related to increased risk of relapse and death. (C) 2001 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.