All issues > Volume 35(10); 1992

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(10):1377-1388. Published online October 15, 1992.

Immunohistochemical Studies on Neuroendocrine Markers in Malignant Neuronal Tumors (Neuroblastoma and Ganglioneuroblastoma) in Children

Woo Yeong WY Chung¹, Sun Kyung SK Lee²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje Medical College, Pusan, Korea
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, ,Korea

Abstract

The authors studied 24 cases of malignant neuronal tumors, 14 neuroblastomas and 10 ganglioneuroblastomas, immunohistochemically, using antibodies to neuroendocrine markers including neuron specific enolase (NSE), somatostatin, chromogranin, β-endorphin, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). The tissue specimens were obtained by biopsy or autopsy at Pusan National University Hopital and Pusan Paik Hospital from 1980 to 1989. The positive reactivity of markers in tumor was compared in observed groups and analyzed statistically. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1) The incidence of malignant neuronal tumor, poorly differentiated or occured in extraabdominal sites, was more frequent in younger patients (≤1.5 years) than differentiated or abdominal ones. 2) In 24 cases of malignant neuronal tumor, argentaffin cell was detected in 13 cases (54%) and argyrophil cell in 22 cases (92%). The positivity of argyrophil cell was significantly higher than that of argentaffin cell. 3) Most tumor cells of malignant neuronal tumor had unhomogenous multiple neuroendocrine markers. 4) The positivity of neuroendocrine markers was more frequent in younger patients, or in differentiated tumors than older mpatients of poorly differentiated tumors. 5) Positive rate of neuroendocrine markers was NSE (71%), somatostatin (46%), chromogranin (38%), β-endorphin (29%), and ACTH (25%) in decreased order. This study concluded that immunostain for two or more markers with high positivity is valuable in differential diagnosis or morphological assessment of malignant neuronal tumor.

Keywords :Malignant neuronal tumors, Neuroendocrine markers, Immunohistochemical study, Children