[Differential expression of Notch1 and Notch2 in astrocytoma and medulloblastoma].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the differential expression of Notch1 and Notch2 in human astrocytoma and medulloblastoma; and to study the role of Notch1 and Notch2 in the development of both tumors.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining (SP method) and Western blot analysis were used to detect Notch1 and Notch2 expression in tissue arrays and freshly resected samples of normal brain tissue, astrocytoma and medulloblastoma.


RESULTS
Notch1 and Notch2 were negative in normal human brain tissue. Notch1 was highly expressed (total positive rate 80.0%, 48/60) while Notch2 was not detected in grade IV astrocytomas and sporadically observed in lower grade astrocytomas (total positive rate 10.0%, 6/60). The percentage of positive tumor cells and expression level of Notch1 increased with higher histologic grade (r = 0.859, P < 0.05). On the other hand, overexpression of Notch2 was detected in medulloblastoma (9/10) in contrast with lower expression of Notch1 (2/10).


CONCLUSIONS
Notch1 and Notch2 show differential expression in astrocytoma and medulloblastoma. This may be related to their different functional activities during the process of brain development.
Xu
Peng
P
Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and Laboratory of Neuro-oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin 300052, China.
Pu
Pei-Yu
PY
Kang
Chun-Sheng
CS
Jia
Zhi-Fan
ZF
Zhou
Xuan
X
Wang
Guang-Xiu
GX
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051883:Receptor, Notch2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D051883:Receptor, Notch2