title: BRAF overexpression induces rampant glioma proliferation independent of phospho-EGFR expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis for gliomas is still dismal when treated with traditional approaches. Molecular targeted therapy has become a trend in treating tumors, including gliomas. However, molecular characteristics vary among different kinds of tumors and ethnic groups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the research was to study the expression characteristics of key components in the EGFR pathway of gliomas in order to contribute new data for the molecular targeted treatment of gliomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, PI3K, phospho-EGFR and Ki67 expression were detected with immunohistochemistry in 82 glioma specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of EGFR was positively correlated with the patients' age. There were no significant differences in clinicopathological characteristics between gliomas with and without phospho-EGFR expression. EGFR overexpression was significantly correlated with phospho-EGFR expression. In gliomas with EGFR activation, overexpressions of EGFR, BRAF and PI3K were significantly correlated with proliferation. However, in gliomas without phospho-EGFR expression, only BRAF overexpression was significantly related to the proliferation of tumor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRAF overexpression could be an independent factor causing tumorigenesis in gliomas regardless of phospho-EGFR expression. The molecular characteristics can vary with the increasing age of glioma patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Minghai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenfu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weipeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, The People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010766:Phosphorylation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000032:analysis*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf