Clinicopathologic factors related to apoptosis in retinoblastoma

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of apoptosis in retinoblastoma and its correlation with other pathologic and prognostic factors. METHODS: The pathologic and admission records of 25 patients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of retinoblastoma were reviewed. TUNEL (TdT dUTP nick end labeling) staining was used to examine apoptosis in the pathologic slides of these 25 patients. The association between apoptosis and clinicopathologic factors was examined with chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Student's t tests. RESULTS: Of the 25 specimens tested, 11 were TUNEL stain-positive for the presence of apoptotic cells. Apoptosis was found more frequently in younger patients and within rosettes, although these associations were not statistically significant. Apoptosis was not associated with tumor invasion or metastasis. CONCLUSION: Apoptotic cells were found in 11 of 25 retinoblastoma specimens. Apoptosis tends to occur in young patients and be distributed within rosettes.