Immunophenotypic identification and chraracterization of pediatric tumor samples.

<p>In panel A, an illustrating example of the gating strategy and bivariate dot plot combinations used for the identification of CD45− tumor cells, CD45− residual stromal cells (e.g. endothelial cells and mesenquimal cells) and infiltrating hematopoietic cells (e.g. neutrophils, B and T cells) is shown. In turn, in panels B to J the immunophenotypic profile of CD45− tumor cells from a neuroblastoma (panels B and H), a PNET (panels C and I) and a rhabdomyossarcoma (panels D and J) tumor are shown together with representative pictures of the histophathological and immunohistochemical profiles of the same tumors stained with hematoxilin & eosin plus cromogranin (neuroblastoma cells in panel E), CD99 (PNET cells in panel F) and _(nu)myogenin (rhabdomyossarcoma cells in panel G).</p

Comparison between multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) and histopathology plus immunohistochemistry (IH) as regards identification of infiltration by neoplastic cells versus normal/reactive cells.

<p>All 8 samples were obtained from pediatric cancer patients, but they were all negative for the presence of tumor cells by conventional diagnostic approaches. LL: lymphoblastic lymphoma; PNET- primitive neuroectodermal tumor.</p

Pattern of antigen expression by tumor cells from different diagnostic categories of pediatric solid tumors.

<p>−: negative; +lo :low expression levels/cells; +: positive; +hi: strong expression levels/cells.</p><p>Both CD7 and CD8 were systematically negative in all tumors analyzed.</p>*<p>The only ganglioneuroblastoma tumor analyzed showed a similar profile but it contained two distinct populations which differed on CD56, CD9 and CD81 expression, in the absence of CD117.</p> <p>CD271 was only partially present in one neuroblastoma tumor.</p>§<p>% of positive cells only among positive case.</p