title: Imidazoline I(2) receptor density increases with the malignancy of human gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current glioma grading schemes are limited by subjective histological criteria. Imidazoline I(2) receptors are principally expressed on glial cells.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of using the measurement of imidazoline I(2) receptor expression to differentiate glial tumours from other types of brain tumours and for grading the different gliomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  The specific binding of [(3)H]idazoxan to imidazoline I(2) receptors was measured in homogenates from human gliomas of different grades.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The density of imidazoline I(2) receptors was significantly greater in the three types of malignant glial tumours than in postmortem control brain or non-glial tumours. The increase in density correlated with the malignancy grade of the gliomas. No significant differences in affinity values were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the density of imidazoline I(2) receptors may be a useful radioligand parameter for the differentiation of glial tumours from other types of brain tumours and for grading the different gliomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, E-48940 Leioa, Spain. kfbcahel@lg.ehu.es
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Callado
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Martín-Gómez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garibi
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meana
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D019329:Idazoxan / Q000378:metabolism; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D019329:Idazoxan