Association of expression between N-myc gene and major histocompatibility complex class I gene in surgically resected human neuroblastoma.

Amplification of the N-myc gene in neuroblastoma correlates with advanced stage and poor prognosis. Association of the expression between N-myc and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes in 33 neuroblastomas obtained from Japanese children was investigated. Amplification of the N-myc gene was observed in two of five cases in Stage III, six of 11 cases in Stage IV, and one of five cases in Stage IV-S. In each case, the expression of N-myc gene was significantly increased. The expression was also increased in cases without amplification of the N-myc gene, the origin being from the suprarenal region. Expression of the MHC class I gene was significantly decreased in five of these nine with a high level of N-myc expression with amplification. These results suggest that the down-modulation of the MHC class I expression may be associated with the high level of expression and amplification of N-myc gene in the advanced stage of neuroblastoma.