Correlation of CD24 expression with histological grading and TNM staging of retinoblastoma

Objective: Correlation of CD24 expression with histological grading and TNM staging of retinoblastoma.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, BMSI, JPMC and NICH from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2013. A total 68 diagnosed cases of retinoblastoma were selected for CD24 immuno staining. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 22.

Results: Out of 68 cases 7.35% showed grade 1 followed by 11.76% in G2, 26.47% in G3 and 54.41% in G4. Majority of cases i.e. 60.29% in stage IV followed by 19.11% in stage I, 10.29% each in stage II and stage III. CD24 immuno staining positivity was seen in majority of grade 3 and grade 4. In grade 3, 38.88% showed moderate and 22.22% strong immuno reaction. Amongst grade 4, 40.54% showed moderate and 13.51% strong positive. Variable immuno pattern was observed according to TNM staging. In stage I, 46.15% showed moderate and 7.69% strong positivity, while in stage II, 57.14% were negative for saining. In stage III, 42.85% were negative while 28.57% each showed moderate and strong staining. Majority of cases in stage IV i.e. 48.78% were negative for staining while 34.14%, 17.07% showed moderate and severe CD24 immuno staining.

Conclusion: Majority of grade I retinoblastoma were in TNM stage I & II and mostly were immuno negative. Lymph node and distant metastatic cases were 75% in G4 and 25% in G3, all of them showed moderate to strong immunoreactivity. These results showed that CD24 expression may be a marker of poor prognosis in retinoblastoma. Whereas TNM staging of retinoblastomas with CD24 expression had varying pattern and showed no significant correlation between them.