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Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Zebrafish Model of Neuroblastoma Metastasis
Published on: March 14, 2021
CHL1 and NrCAM are Primarily Expressed in Low Grade Pediatric Neuroblastoma
Robin Wachowiak1, Steffi Mayer1, Anne Suttkus1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20 A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Background:
Neural cell adhesion molecules like close homolog of L1 protein (CHL1) and neuronal glia related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) play an important role in development and regeneration of the central nervous system. However, they are also associated with cancerogenesis and progression in adult malignancies, thus gain increasing importance in cancer research. We therefore studied the expression of CHL1 and NrCAM according to the course of disease in children with neuroblastoma.
Methods:
CHL1 and NrCAM expression levels were histologically assessed by tissue microarrays from surgically resected neuroblastoma specimens of 56 children. Expression of both markers was correlated to demographics as well as clinical data including metastatic dissemination and survival.
Results:
CHL1 was expressed in 9% and NrCAM in 51% of neuroblastoma tissue samples. Expression of CHL1 was higher in patients with low Hughes grade 1a/b (p=0.01). NrCAM was more often detected in patients with a low International Staging System (INSS) score 1/2 (p=0.04).
Conclusion:
CHL1 and NrCAM expression was associated with low-grade pediatric neuroblastoma. These adhesion molecules may play a role in early tumor development of neuroblastoma.
