Tissue localization of nerve growth factor receptors:trk A and low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor in neuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma, and retinoblastoma

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Abstract
The immunohistochemical localization of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR)—high-affinity NGFR (trk A) and low-affinity NGFR (LNGFR)—was investigated in 23 neuroblastoma group tumors, 18 pheochromocytomas, 2 mixed neuroendocrine-neural tumors, and 16 retinoblastomas.trk A was expressed in the tumor cells of all neuroblastomas, pheochromocytomas, and retinoblastomas. Immunoreactive intensity was especially strong in the larger ganglionic tumor cells of ganglioneuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma. Messenger RNA (mRNA) oftrk A was also strongly expressed in the ganglionic cells of ganglioneuroblastomas and chromaffin cells of pheochromocytomas byin situ hybridization method. LNGFR was negative in the tumor cells of neuroblastoma; however, it showed strong immunoreactivity in ganglionic tumor cells and Schwann cells of ganglioneuroblastoma/ganglioneuroma, and sustentacular cells of pheochromocytoma. Although normal retina expressed bothtrk A and LNGFR, tumor cells of retinoblastoma were positive for onlytrk A but negative for LNGFR. Such differences in the expression oftrk A and LNGFR may reflect neuron-glial interactions in the survival and maturation of the sympathetic nerves, retina, and tumors in these tissues.

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