Purpose: Alpha1 (XI) collagen COL11A1 is one of the tumor microenvironment that support collagen remodeling and it has been associated with carcinogenesis in malignant tumors. However, COL11A1 levels in Neuroblastoma (NB) have not been evaluated. The aim of this study is to clarify the COL11A1 expression and its relation with Neuroblastoma outcome in patients.
Methods: A total of 80 NB patients in Children Hospital II were enrolled in this study. The expression levels of COL11A1 genes were measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry was used to localize COL11A1 expression in tumor or stroma region. Association with clinoco-pathological NB and COL11A1 were assessed in specimens collected from primary, metastases and recurrent NB.
Results: COL11A1 expression was detected in 23% of 83 NB and correlated with stage 3/4 (P=0.23), recurrence (n=8, P=0.01), MYCN amplification (P=0.04). Immunostaining showed that the COL11A1 co-localized with Vimentin in intratumoral stroma, but not the peripheral stroma. Remarkably, such COL11A1 mRNA expression is significantly associated with MYCN amplification p<0.05 in the public microarray database. Finally, our data the sorting of tumor vs stroma, was highly expressed intra-stroma tumors isolated from amplified MYCN specimens and INSS stage 3,4,4S.
Conclusion: Our findings examine the COL11A1 expression in advantaged cancer and suggest that microenvironment of stromal COL11A1 is a significant risk for cancer prognosis and disease progression.