EXPRESSION OF MICROTUBULE-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS, MAP-1 AND MAP-2, IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMAS AND DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF IMMATURE NEUROBLASTS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (6) , 684-691
Abstract
The expression of microtuble-associated proteins, MAP-1 and MAP-2, was studied in human neuroblastomas at various developmental stages using the immuno-alkaline-phosphatase technique and immunofluorescence microscopy. Of 15 cases examined, including grade I, grade II, and grade III neuroblastomas (M. Hughes, H.B. Marsden, and M.K. Palmer, Cancer 34:1706, 1974), rabbit antibodies raised against individual MAP-1 and MAP-2 from mammalian brain showed strong reactions with the whole spectrum of tumor cells including the immature small neuroblasts, partially mature neuroblasts, neurofibrils, and ganglion cells. Antibodies to .alpha.- and .beta.-tubulin showed similar staining patterns. In contrast, antibodies to the Mr = 200.000 neurofilament protein were reactive only with the mature and partially mature tumor cells, as well as with neurofibrils, but not with immature "round-cell" neuroblasts. Other types of round-cell tumors examined, including several cases of Ewing''s sarcoma, undifferentiated rhabdomyosarcoma, and malignant lymphoma, showed no reaction with antibodies to MAP-1 and MAP-2. These tumors were reactive, however, with antibodies to various other tumor-specific as well as nonspecific antigens. It is concluded that antibodies to neuronal MAPs provide a valuable new tool for the differential diagnosis of neuroblastomas.

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