BACKGROUND: The enzymes encoded by the GALNT

acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNAc-T)] gene family catalyze the first step of O-glycosylation. Little is known about the link between expression of the genes encoding GALNT enzymes and tumor progression in neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer that can be classified as either low or high risk.We assessed the expression of genes in the GALNT family in a large cohort of neuro-blastoma patients and characterized members of this family that might be used as new prognostic markers. METHODS: Reverse-transcription PCR analysis of 14 GALNT genes with a panel of neuroblastoma cell lines identified the GALNT9 gene as playing a potential role in disease progression. We used the log-rank test and the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model with a cohort of 122 neuroblastoma patients to analyz