title: Variability of intracellular concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor in cultured human gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a small peptide with angiogenic and mitogenic properties that supports the growth and proliteration of human malignant glial tumors in vitro and in vivo in an autocrine fashion. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between intracellular bFGF concentrations and grade of glial malignancy using a monolayer cell culture system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples from 13 histopathologically verified astrocytic brain tumors and two non-tumorous astrocyte specimens were grown in tissue culture and examined both early and late after explantation together with a bFGF-producing reference cell line.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated intracellular concentrations of bFGF were noted in the reference line as well as two of five other glioblastoma multiforme-derived cell cultules, three of five anaplastic glioma-derived cell cultures, and two of three astrocytoma-derived cell cultures. The cells derived from non-tumorous astrocyte specimens expressed low concentrations of bFGF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that overlap exists between the grade ot glial malignancy and intracellular bFGF levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kornblith
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2