Figure 5.

Advanced clinical stage in patients with neuroblastoma correlates with high c-Met mRNA levels. mRNA was isolated from banked tumor samples from patients with localized or metastatic neuroblastoma. Quantitative RT-PCR for c-Met was performed using GADPH as internal control and the SH-EP line as a positive control. Values are expressed relative to the SH-SY5Y line, which is set equal to one; thus, SH-EP c-Met value = 15.8. c-Met values represent the mean of triplicate samples and are plotted according to INSS clinical stage. Median c-Met values for each stage are 0.87 (stage 1), 2.6 (stage 2), 5.2 (stage 3), and 17.5 (stage 4). c-Met values for stage 3-4 tumors are significantly higher (p = 0.048) than values for stage 1-2 tumors.