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Immunohistochemical analysis of GFAP-δ and nestin in cerebral astrocytomas

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Abstract

GFAP-δ, the delta isoform of the glial fibrillary acidic protein, is particularly expressed in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the brain. GFAP-δ positive cells in the SVZ co-express the neural stem cells (NSCs) marker nestin. According to the theory of glioma oncogenesis, transformation of a cell population with stem features which resides in the SVZ could be the origin of astrocytomas. Moreover, it is known that cancer stem cells promote tumor invasion in cerebral astrocytomas. Therefore, we investigated the immunostaining of GFAP-δ and nestin in cerebral astrocytomas and evaluated the correlation between the positive cell ratio of these markers and the neuroimaging features associated with tumor invasion in forty-four cases of grade II, III and IV cerebral astrocytomas (World Health Organization’s classification). Tissue samples were obtained by stereotactic biopsies in all cases. According to the preoperative neuroimaging criteria, tumors were categorized into highly invasive and low invasive. Most of the low-grade and high-grade astrocytomas express GFAP-δ and nestin. The positive cell ratio of GFAP-δ and the positive cell ratio of nestin were statistically significantly higher in highly invasive tumors compared with low-invasive tumors (p < 0.05). Altogether, these results suggest that GFAP-δ and nestin could be clinically relevant markers associated with tumor invasiveness in cerebral astrocytomas.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Grant No. 28487/30.10.2012 of “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania (FM Brehar, D Arsene) and grant PN-II-RU-TE-2012-3-0235 of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI (FM Brehar, MRGorgan). We thank Diana M. Branduse, PhD, State University of New York at Binghamton, for her kind support in writing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu 37, Bucharest, Romania

    Felix Mircea Brehar & Mircea Radu Gorgan

  2. Neurosurgery Clinic, “Bagdasar-Arseni” Clinical Hospital, Berceni 10-12, 041915, Bucharest, Romania

    Felix Mircea Brehar & Mircea Radu Gorgan

  3. Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry Department, “Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, Splaiul Independenţei 99-101, Bucharest, Romania

    Dorel Arsene

  4. Public Health and Management, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dionisie Lupu 37, Bucharest, Romania

    Lacramioara Aurelia Brinduse

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  1. Felix Mircea Brehar
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  2. Dorel Arsene
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  3. Lacramioara Aurelia Brinduse
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  4. Mircea Radu Gorgan
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Correspondence to Felix Mircea Brehar.

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F. M. Brehar and D. Arsene equally contributed to the research and manuscript preparation.

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Brehar, F.M., Arsene, D., Brinduse, L.A. et al. Immunohistochemical analysis of GFAP-δ and nestin in cerebral astrocytomas. Brain Tumor Pathol 32, 90–98 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-014-0199-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10014-014-0199-8

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