Expression and significance of glucocorticoid receptor alpha in meningiomas.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GRalpha) and its significance in the occurrence and progress of meningiomas.


METHODS
By the use of flow cytometry, the proliferative index (PI), S-phase fraction (SPF) and DNA ploidy were detected to evaluate the proliferation of tumor cells in 58 meningioma specimens. The expressions of GRalpha in all meningiomas and seven normal dura samples were studied by means of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to compare the difference in GRalpha between meningiomas and normal dura. The relation between GRalpha and histological grades, PI, SPF and DNA ploidy were also analyzed.


RESULTS
The mean PI was 9.32%+/-4.41% while the mean SPF was 2.79%+/-2.43% in 58 meningioma specimens. DNA was diploid in 51 cases and aneuploid in the remaining seven cases, with the aneuploid rate being 12.1%. Nine of 58 meningiomas were GRalpha- negative and the rest were GRalpha-positive with a GRalpha-positive rate of 84.5%. The GRalpha-positive meningiomas included 13 '+', 15 '++', 9 '+++' and 12 '++++'. GRalpha was negative in normal dura samples. The GRalpha-positive rate of meningiomas was significantly greater than that of normal dura. There were no significant differences in PI and SPF among GRalpha-negative, GRalpha-weak positive and GRalpha-strong positive meningiomas. The difference in aneuploid rate between GRalpha-positive and GRalpha-negative meningiomas was also not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
GRalpha is of significance in meningiomas, which are a target tissue for glucocorticoid. However, GRalpha's expression had no obvious effect on the proliferative activity of meningiomas, so it may not be a major control of this process.
Zhao
Xu
X
Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuan Road, Jinan, ShanDong, 250033, China. drzhaoxu@126.com
Teng
Liang Zhu
LZ
Wang
Zhi Gang
ZG
Xin
Tao
T
Wei
Sheng Cheng
SC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D016196:S Phase / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C411470:glucocorticoid receptor alpha