title: Polysialic acid overexpression in malignant astrocytomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polysialic acid (PSA) is a carbohydrate binding on the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM and impedes cell-cell interactions. It prevents neural progenitor cell differentiation and promotes their migration. Highly malignant tumours like small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) also overexpress PSA and this correlates with a negative prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intra-operatively collected biopsies from 30 patients with different astrocytoma grades were immuno-histochemically examined to identify expression of PSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Astrocytoma grade I and II had 4% PSA expressing cells whereas in grade III and IV the number of PSA expressing cells was 45%. This difference was statistically highly significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this short communication we show that highly malignant astrocytomas express significantly more PSA compared to less malignant astrocytomas. Cleavage of PSA could be used in future therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Schittenhelmstrasse 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany. opticdisc@aol.com
authors.forename: Athanasios K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Petridis
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wedderkopp
authors.forename: Hans Hermann
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maximilian Mehdorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001706:Biopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012794:Sialic Acids; C456603:EPDR1 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C021319:polysialic acid