title: Midkine expression in high grade gliomas: Correlation of this novel marker with proliferation and survival in human gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-grade primary glioma have poor prognosis and predictive biomarkers is very important. Midkine (MDK), a heparin-binding growth factor, is important in regulating carcinogenesis, cell proliferation, mitogenesis, and angiogenesis. This study aimed to identify over-expression of MDK in gliomas and correlate this with clinical outcomes. The authors put forward their hypothesis correlating proliferation and poor survival with over-expression of this novel protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) included human data of 100 and 180 patients, respectively. The MDK expression, World Health Organization (WHO) pathological grade, sex, age, and survival time were identified for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A search of the GEO profile revealed that MDK expression level was statistically greater in the WHO grade IV compared with grade II (P = 0.002), in grades III and IV compared with nontumor control (P = 0.044 and P < 0.001, respectively) after adjustments using the Bonferroni method. By the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, the high MDK expression group had poorer survival outcome (2.38-fold hazard, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-4.63) than the low MDK expression group after adjustments for WHO grade and age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, there is a positive correlation between MDK expression and WHO grading of human gliomas. Moreover, MDK over-expression is significant correlated to poor survival outcome in high-grade, suggesting that MDK may be an important therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, China.
authors.forename: Yen-Po
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Life Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Transplant Medicine and Surgery Research Centre, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, China.
authors.forename: Ping-Yi
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsin-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, China.
authors.forename: Chien-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC ; Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Dueng-Yuan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hueng
keywords: GEO profile; WHO grades; glioma; midkine; survival rate