Absent or reduced expression of the caspase 8 gene occurs frequently in neuroblastoma, but not commonly in ewing sarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma

Procedure. To clarify whether the caspase 8 gene is involved in the pathoge nesis of neuroblastoma (NB), we examined alterations of the caspase 8 gene in 15 NB, seven Ewing sarcoma (ES), and eight rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cell l ines, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RT -PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses. Results. The caspase 8 gene was not expressed in 11 (73%) of 15 NB cell lines, it was ab sent in only one of seven ES cell lines, but was present in all eight RMS c ell lines examined. No mutations were detected in any cell lines examined. Conclusions. Inactivation of the caspase 8 gene is considered to be involve d in the pathogenesis of NB, but not ES or RMS. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.