High nerve growth factor receptor (p75NTR) expression is a favourable prognostic factor in paediatric B cell precursor‐acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Summary Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a pivotal role in cellular survival/death decisions with the low affinity receptor p75NTR predominately transmitting anti‐proliferative signals. In spite of its established role in B‐cell function and identification as a prognostically favourable marker in a number of malignancies, little is known about the expression pattern and prognostic significance of p75NTR in B cell precursor‐acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP‐ALL). p75NTR expression was prospectively studied on primary ALL‐blasts in a cohort of paediatric patients with common ALL (n = 86) and preB‐ALL (n = 34) treated within the Co‐operative study group for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (CoALL) protocol, CoALL06‐97. Flow cytometric analysis showed that almost half of the patients expressed no or negligible amounts of p75NTR (