title: Nuclear expression of β-catenin and stem cell markers as potential prognostic indicators in medulloblastoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prognostic role of β-catenin and stem cell markers in medulloblastoma (MB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty cases of MB were retrospectively analyzed to study the expression of β-catenin, CD15, and CD133 by immunohistochemistry. Their expression was correlated with histological subtypes and event-free survival (EFS). Patients were divided into Group 1 and 2 based on non-occurrence and occurrence of events during the follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty of the 60 cases were of classic type of MB while nine were of desmoplastic subtype and one case showed chondroid and rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Immunoreactivity for β-catenin was observed as nuclear and/or cytoplasmic positivity within the tumor cells. Forty-one (68.3%) cases showed cytoplasmic positivity, while nuclear positivity was seen in 21 (35%) cases. There was a significant correlation between nuclear expression of β-catenin and different histological subtypes by Chi-square test (P value<0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation of β-catenin nuclear positivity with EFS was observed. Among 60 cases, 37 cases (67.3%) showed presence of CD15+ tumor cells with percentage of positivity varying between 0.1 to 17.1%. Overall, 42 of 60 (70%) cases showed presence of CD133+ cells. The percentage of positivity varied between 0.1 to 16.5%. A statistically significant negative correlation of CD15 and CD133 positivity with EFS was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nucleopositive β-catenin cases were associated with a favorable outcome on univariate analysis. Both CD15 and CD133 positivity were associated with a worse outcome on univariate analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Kiran Krishne
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gowda
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Vasishta
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D051176:beta Catenin