title: The association of osteopontin and LMX1A expression with World Health Organization grade in meningiomas and gliomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteopontin (OPN) and LIM homeobox transcription factor 1, alpha (LMX1A) are important factors related to tumour progression, invasion and metastasis in human cancers. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that expression of OPN and of LMX1A correlate with the World Health Organization (WHO) grading system of primary brain tumours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical analyses of OPN and LMX1A expression were performed in 139 cases of brain tumour, including 65 meningiomas, 71 gliomas, and three central neurocytomas. More than 90% of WHO grade I meningiomas showed negative or weak staining for OPN and LMX1A. However, among all WHO grade II and III meningiomas, 100% and 66.7% showed moderate or strong staining for OPN and LMX1A, respectively. Similarly, higher percentages of WHO grade I and II gliomas than of WHO grade III and IV gliomas showed negative or weak staining for OPN. A higher intensity of immunoreactivity for LMX1A correlated with more advanced grade in WHO grade I-III gliomas, but not in WHO grade IV tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher immunostaining intensity for OPN and LMX1A correlated with WHO grades for meningiomas and some gliomas. Contrary to our expectations, LMX1A staining in WHO grade IV gliomas was shown to be weaker than in WHO grade III tumours.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology             Neurosurgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chiuan
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Herng-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chih-Kung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nieh
authors.forename: Hsin-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D018306:Neurocytoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; C078021:LMX1A protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D053495:Osteopontin