Flow Cytometric Detection of Bone Marrow Cell Populations Phenotypically Compatible with Neuroblastoma: An Exploratory Comparison with Conventional Methods
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
- 2Hematology and Oncology Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Clinical Immunology, University Children’s Hospital of Krakow, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
- 3Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture in Cracow, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
- 4Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Children’s Hospital of Krakow, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
- 5Department of Nuclear Medicine, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland
- 6Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
- 7Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, University Children’s Hospital of Krakow, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
- 8Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
Abstract
Background: Accurate evaluation of bone marrow involvement is important for staging and treatment monitoring in pediatric neuroblastoma. This study evaluated flow cytometry for detecting neuroblastoma cells in bone marrow aspirates. Methods: In this prospective exploratory correlative analysis, samples from 28 children were assessed through flow cytometry and cytomorphology; available histopathological and iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy results were compared. Neuroblastoma cells were identified as nucleated CD56+CD45−CD36−CD71− events. Results: Flow cytometry detected neuroblastoma cell populations across a broad quantitative range, including low-level populations. Agreement between flow cytometry and cytomorphology was 90.0% (Cohen’s κ = 0.56). In 16 paired aspirate-level records with at least one positive result, flow cytometric and cytomorphological percentages showed a positive Pearson correlation (r = 0.878, p < 0.0001), although this association was sensitive to one high-value observation. Agreement with histopathology was 92.1–94.8% (κ = 0.59–0.64), whereas agreement with MIBG scintigraphy was slight to fair (κ = 0.12–0.23). Conclusions: Flow cytometry provided rapid, quantitative detection of neuroblastoma cell populations in bone marrow aspirates. It should be considered complementary to cytomorphology and histopathology, as repeated examinations, the limited panel, and the lack of an independent reference standard preclude definitive estimates of diagnostic performance.
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BibTeX
@article{bukowskastrakova2026flow,
title = {{Flow Cytometric Detection of Bone Marrow Cell Populations Phenotypically Compatible with Neuroblastoma: An Exploratory Comparison with Conventional Methods}},
author = {Karolina Bukowska-Strakova and Marta Surman and Izabela Siemińska and Aleksandra Dziewońska and Monika Rygielska and Anna Śliwińska and Aleksandra Łosiewicz and Krystyna Gałązka and Urszula Żebrowska and Maciej Siedlar and Aleksandra Wieczorek and Walentyna Balwierz},
journal = {Cancers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/cancers18203355},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/20/3355},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Flow Cytometric Detection of Bone Marrow Cell Populations Phenotypically Compatible with Neuroblastoma: An Exploratory Comparison with Conventional Methods
AU - Karolina Bukowska-Strakova
AU - Marta Surman
AU - Izabela Siemińska
AU - Aleksandra Dziewońska
AU - Monika Rygielska
AU - Anna Śliwińska
AU - Aleksandra Łosiewicz
AU - Krystyna Gałązka
AU - Urszula Żebrowska
AU - Maciej Siedlar
AU - Aleksandra Wieczorek
AU - Walentyna Balwierz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Cancers
DO - 10.3390/cancers18203355
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/20/3355
AB - Background: Accurate evaluation of bone marrow involvement is important for staging and treatment monitoring in pediatric neuroblastoma. This study evaluated flow cytometry for detecting neuroblastoma cells in bone marrow aspirates. Methods: In this prospective exploratory correlative analysis, samples from 28 children were assessed through flow cytometry and cytomorphology; available histopathological and iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy results were compared. Neuroblastoma cells were identified as nucleated CD56+CD45−CD36−CD71− events. Results: Flow cytometry detected neuroblastoma cell populations across a broad quantitative range, including low-level populations. Agreement between flow cytometry and cytomorphology was 90.0% (Cohen’s κ = 0.56). In 16 paired aspirate-level records with at least one positive result, flow cytometric and cytomorphological percentages showed a positive Pearson correlation (r = 0.878, p < 0.0001), although this association was sensitive to one high-value observation. Agreement with histopathology was 92.1–94.8% (κ = 0.59–0.64), whereas agreement with MIBG scintigraphy was slight to fair (κ = 0.12–0.23). Conclusions: Flow cytometry provided rapid, quantitative detection of neuroblastoma cell populations in bone marrow aspirates. It should be considered complementary to cytomorphology and histopathology, as repeated examinations, the limited panel, and the lack of an independent reference standard preclude definitive estimates of diagnostic performance.
SN - 2072-6694
ER -