title: Gene expression analysis of an EGFR indirectly related pathway identified PTEN and MMP9 as reliable diagnostic markers for human glial tumor specimens.
abstract: In this study the mRNA levels of five EGFR indirectly related genes, EGFR, HB-EGF, ADAM17, PTEN, and MMP9, have been assessed by Real-time PCR in a panel of 37 glioblastoma multiforme specimens and in 5 normal brain samples; as a result, in glioblastoma, ADAM17 and PTEN expression was significantly lower than in normal brain samples, and, in particular, a statistically significant inverse correlation was found between PTEN and MMP9 mRNA levels. To verify if this correlation was conserved in gliomas, PTEN and MMP9 expression was further investigated in an additional panel of 16 anaplastic astrocytoma specimens and, in parallel, in different human normal and astrocytic tumor cell lines. In anaplastic astrocytomas PTEN expression was significantly higher than in glioblastoma multiforme, but no significant correlation was found between PTEN and MMP9 expression. PTEN and MMP9 mRNA levels were also employed to identify subgroups of specimens within the different glioma malignancy grades and to define a gene expression-based diagnostic classification scheme. In conclusion, this gene expression survey highlighted that the combined measurement of PTEN and MMP9 transcripts might represent a novel reliable tool for the differential diagnosis of high-grade gliomas, and it also suggested a functional link involving these genes in glial tumors.
authors: Dipartimento di Genetica e Microbiologia, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy. sergio.c@ipvgen.unipv.it
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Comincini
authors: Mayra
authors: M
authors: Paolillo
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Barbieri
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Palumbo
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Sbalchiero
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Azzalin
authors: Marika A
authors: MA
authors: Russo
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Schinelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9