Aberrant serum lipid levels predict clinical outcomes in patients with neuroblastoma

This study aimed to explore how serum lipid levels are related to clinical features and outcomes in neuroblastoma(NB). We analyzed data from 169 patients diagnosed with NB, focusing on their serum lipid levels and how these relate to disease characteristics and prognosis. We found that older age (>18 months), high-risk disease features (e.g. elevated LDH, NSE, serum ferritin), genetic abnormalities (such as MYCN amplification, 1p36/11q23 LOH, PHOX2B expression), tumor size ≥10 cm, bone marrow metastasis, and multiple organ involvement were linked to abnormal lipid profiles, including elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C, and lipid ratios (TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C), along with reduced HDL-C. Interestingly, high TG and TG/HDL-C levels correlated with increased regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a role in immune response. Patients with unfavorable lipid profiles-particularly high TC, TG, LDL-C, and lipid ratios or low HDL-C-had worse 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rates. This was especially true for high-risk patients. In statistical models, the TC/HDL-C ratio emerged as an independent predictor of poorer EFS. To assess lipid dynamics during treatment, we monitored patients at multiple time points and observed decreasing TC, TG, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and TG/HDL-C levels, alongside increasing HDL-C, suggesting treatment-induced improvement in lipid metabolism. In patients with disease progression or relapse, lipid levels (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C) were significantly elevated at the time of the event compared to post-chemotherapy levels.In summary, dysregulation of serum lipids is common in NB and lipid profiles are closely linked to NB progression and may serve as potential biomarkers for prognosis and treatment monitoring.