title: Immunohistochemical expression of chemokine receptor CXCR3 and its ligand CXCL10 in low-grade astrocytomas and glioblastoma multiforme: A tissue microarray-based comparison.
abstract: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and diffuse astrocytoma (DA) are the most frequently encountered gliomas. Due to poor prognosis and limited success of the currently available treatment modalities there is a need to identify new therapeutic targets. Chemokines (CKs) regulate cellular functions like chemotaxis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression that play role in tumor growth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study comparative immunoexpression of CXCR3 and CXCL10 in DA and GBM using a high-throughput tissue microarray (TMA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A TMA of 1.0 mm core diameter was made from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded donor blocks of 25 pilocytic astrocytomas (PA), 45 DA, and 75 GBM. Immunohistochemical staining for CXCR3 and CXCL10 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 145, 129 cores were suitable for immunohistochemical evaluation after processing and immunohistochemistry. Strong CXCR3 immunoexpression was observed in 72.7% cases of GBM as compared to 31.8% cases of DA. 50.7% of GBM and 24.5% of DA showed strong immunoexpression of CXCL10. Overall comparisons between DA and GBM for CXCR3 and CXCL10 showed statistically significant correlation between the two with P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between CXCR3 and MIB-1. Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.548 and 0.330 for DA and GBM, respectively with P < 0.01.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GBM shows overexpression of CXCR3 and CXCL10 in comparison to DA, indicating that they play an important role in tumor growth and progression. Inhibition of this receptor-ligand axis may be a potential therapeutic target for arresting tumor growth and development of a glioblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, National Institute of Pathology, ICMR, New Delhi; Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, National Institute of Pathology, ICMR, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Fouzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Siraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Karam Chand
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, National Institute of Pathology, ICMR, New Delhi; Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Avninder
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008024:Ligands; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D008024:Ligands; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3