title: Survival analysis of presumptive prognostic markers among oligodendrogliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allelic losses of 1p and 19q arms correlate with the oligodendroglial phenotype as well as with sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Furthermore, the DNA repair gene, methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), is diminished in 80% of oligodendroglial tumors and represents a possible mechanism for this therapeutic sensitivity. However, the authors questioned the relevance of genetic testing and measuring MGMT levels in tumors that were diagnostic of oligodendroglioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 1p, 19q, 9p21, TP53, and MGMT status in 46 patients with oligodendrogliomas to address any relations that may exist among these markers with regard to progression-free survival (PFS) and total survival. Methodologies included comparative genomic hybridization; loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on 1p, 19q, and 9p21; TP53 mutational analysis; and immunohistochemistry for MGMT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found that survival among patients with light microscopically diagnosed oligodendroglial tumors demonstrating LOH of 1p and 19q trended toward statistical significance (P = 0.102 and P = 0.058, respectively). 9p21 LOH was significant as a predictor of PFS only among anaplastic oligodendrogliomas in this cohort (P = 0.033). TP53 mutation was found to be significantly predictive of a shorter survival (P = 0.027) among all patients and exhibited a strong trend toward a shorter PFS (P = 0.060). Low-level MGMT labeling index (LI) (< 20%) was noted in 86% of all oligodendroglial tumors. MGMT LI was not found to correlate with an improved PFS or total survival in this cohort, recognizing that median survival was not reached after a median follow-up of 104 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  9p21 and TP53 mutational status assisted in developing a stricter subclassification of these tumors with prognostic significance. MGMT levels were decreased in a majority of oligodendrogliomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. roger.mclendon@duke.edu
authors.forename: Roger E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: McLendon
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiltshire
authors.forename: B K Ahmed
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Henry S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Allan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Darell D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality*; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase