title: J1-31 protein expression in astrocytes and astrocytomas.
abstract: J1-31 is one of the astrocytic proteins, the expression of which has not been evaluated in astrocytomas. In the present study, we studied the expression of J1-31 protein in astrocytes and astrocytomas in comparison with GFAP, p53 and Ki-67. Materials consisted of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens that included five cases of normal brain, 17 of gliosis, 15 of pilocytic astrocytoma (WHO grade I), 26 of low-grade diffuse astrocytoma (WHO grade II), four of anaplastic astrocytoma (WHO grade III), and eight of glioblastoma (WHO grade IV). GFAP was highly expressed in all specimens examined. The anti-J1-31 antibody exhibited strong cytoplasmic staining of reactive gliosis in 17/17 (100%) cases with a higher intensity of staining than that observed in the adjacent normal astrocytes. The antibody showed reactivity with tumor cells in 12/15 (80%) cases of pilocytic astrocytoma, although intensity of staining was generally weaker and more focal than observed in reactive gliosis. J1-31-positive tumor cells were detected in only 9/26 (35%) cases of the low-grade diffuse astrocytoma and none of the cases of anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Increasing Ki-67 indices paralleled advancing tumor grades. p53 protein was expressed more commonly in infiltrating astrocytomas compared to pilocytic astrocytoma. In conclusion, down-regulation of J1-31 expression correlates with advancing grade of astrocytomas. The result suggests this protein plays some role in astrocytes that is progressively lost in malignant progression. The anti-J1-31 antibody may help further our understanding of astrocytes in disease and may be useful as an aid in the pathologic diagnosis of astrocytic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. shanop@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shanop
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shuangshoti
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thorner
authors.forename: Preecha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruangvejvorachai
authors.forename: Baisakhi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Groshen
authors.forename: Clive R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Sudarshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: S Ashraf
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Imam
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C546291:J1-31 protein, human; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53