Expression of GD2 and GD3 in peripheral neuroblastic tumors

The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between the expression of GD2 and GD3 and the histopathological types, risk groups, and chemotherapy in peripheral neuroblastic tumors (pNTs) and provide a theoretical basis for the selection of immunotargeted therapy for pNTs.

The expression of GD2 and GD3 in samples of pNTs in all 87 cases, including 39 neuroblastomas (NB), 13 ganglion neuroblastomas nodular (GNBn), 19 ganglion neuroblastomas intermixed (GNBi), 16 ganglioneuroma (GN), and 16 paired NB after chemotherapy, were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The expression of GD2 was higher than that of GD3 ( P < 0.001) in all samples. In NB and GNBn, the expression of GD2 was higher than that of GD3 ( P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively). The expression of GD2 in NB was higher than that in GNBn ( P = 0.015), and GNBn was higher than GNBi ( P < 0.001). The expression of GD2 in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the medium-risk group and low-risk group ( P = 0.019). The expression of GD2 before chemotherapy was higher than that after chemotherapy ( P = 0.022). GD2 was expressed in different degrees in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

GD2 may be better than GD3 as a target of immunotherapy for pNTs, especially in the same pathological type. NB and GNBn may be more suitable for anti-GD2 immunotherapy. The expression of GD2 on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes may be related to the side effects of anti-GD2 immunotherapy.