Clinical significance of astrocyte elevated gene-1 expression in human oligodendrogliomas.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) in human oligodendrogliomas and the association between AEG-1 expression and progression of oligodendrogliomas.


METHODS
The expression of AEG-1 in normal human oligodendroglial cells, oligodendroglioma cell line, and four pairs of matched oligodendroglioma tissues and their adjacent normal brain tissues was detected by quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. In addition, AEG-1 protein expression was examined in 75 cases of histologically characterized oligodendrogliomas by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were applied to test for prognostic and diagnostic associations.


RESULTS
Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that AEG-1 mRNA and protein were elevated in the oligodendroglioma cell line and significantly upregulated in primary oligodendrogliomas compared with the adjacent non-cancerous brain tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 51 of 75 (68.0%) paraffin-embedded archival oligodendroglioma samples exhibited high expression of AEG-1. Statistical analysis suggested that upregulation of AEG-1 was significantly correlated with the histological grade of oligodendroglioma (p=0.000) and that patients with high AEG-1 level exhibited shorter survival time (p=0.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that AEG-1 upregulation might be an independent prognostic indicator for the survival of patients with oligodendroglioma.


CONCLUSIONS
AEG-1 might represent a novel, useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for oligodendroglioma and play a role during the development and progression of the disease.
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road II, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China. xzb1234321@sohu.com
Zhibo
Z
Xia
Nu
N
Zhang
Huawei
H
Jin
Zhenhua
Z
Yu
Guixing
G
Xu
Zhongsong
Z
Huang
D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D017931:DNA Primers; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C483039:MTDH protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins