[Correlation of hTERT expression to maspin and bFGF expression and their significance in glioma].
OBJECTIVE
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is a determinant factor in telomerase activation and is related with tumorigenesis and the degree of malignancy. Its expression is regulated by many factors. This study was to detect the expression of hTERT, maspin, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in glioma, and analyze their correlations and their significance in glioma.


METHODS
The expression of hTERT, maspin, and bFGF in 128 specimens of human glioma and 8 specimens of normal brain tissue were detected by in situ hybridization and SP immunohistochemistry. H-score system of Gatalica was used for semi-quantitative evaluation. The positive rates between the 2 groups was compared with Chi(2) test. The correlations of hTERT, maspin, and bFGF expression to tumor grade were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. The correlations of hTERT expression to maspin and bFGF expression were analyzed by linear correlation.


RESULTS
The positive rates of hTERT, maspin, bFGF were 51.6%, 46.9%, and 62.5% respectively in gliomas, and 0, 87.5%, and 0 in normal brain tissues. In the 43 specimens of grade II, 55 specimens of grade III and 30 specimens of grade IV gliomas, the positive rates of hTERT were 32.6%, 54.5%, and 73.3% (P < 0.05); the positive rates of maspin were 58.1%, 49.1%, and 26.7% (P < 0.05); the positive rates of bFGF were 39.5%, 72.7%, and 76.7% (P < 0.05).The expression of hTERT and bFGF were positively correlated to pathologic grade (rho=0.515, P < 0.01; rho=0.611, P < 0.01), while the expression of maspin was negatively correlated to pathologic grade (rho=-0.425, P < 0.05). hTERT expression was negatively correlated to maspin expression (r=-0.658, P<0.01), but positively correlated to bFGF expression (r=0.627, P < 0.01); maspin expression was negatively correlated to bFGF expression (r=-0.501, P < 0.01). The expression of hTERT showed no relationship with the age, sex, tumor size, and cell density (P > 0.05), but had obvious relationship with karyokinesis, vessel density, and necrosis (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of hTERT, maspin and bFGF correlate to each other, and associate with the malignant degree of glioma.
Wang
Dong-Lin
DL
Department of Pathology, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226001, P. R. China. donglin@ntu.edu.cn
Wang
Yan-Fen
YF
Shi
Gong-Sheng
GS
Huang
Hua
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015843:Serpins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015843:Serpins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase