The clinicopathological significance of CD133 and Sox2 in astrocytic glioma

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Abdelrahman, Aziza E.^{a; *} | Ibrahim, Hanaa M.^a | Elsebai, Eman A.^b | Ismail, Eman I.^b | Elmesallamy, Wael^c

Affiliations: [a] Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [b] Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [c] Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Aziza E. Abdelrahman, Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt. Tel.: +20 1068743218; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The treatment strategies of astrocytoma have not changed considerably due to the restricted appreciation of its biology. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of the stem cell-related proteins (CD133 and Sox2) and their prognostic value in astrocytic glioma. METHODS: The immunohistochemical expression of CD133 and Sox2 in 40 patients with an astrocytic glioma of different grades was studied. The recorded data on the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and the response to the therapeutic protocol were collected and lastly analyzed. RESULTS: CD133 expression was observed in 87.5% of the cases, while positive Sox2 expression was found in all the studied cases. There was a significant association of CD133 expression with the histological grade and the tumor size (p< 0.001). A significant association of Sox2 with the histological grade and the tumor size was noted (p= 0.004, p= 0.006 respectively). Up-regulation of both CD133 and Sox2 had a significant association with poor clinical response to the therapy (p< 0.001 for each). Shorter OS and PFS were related to CD133 and Sox2 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: Astrocytoma with CD133 and Sox2 overexpression had an unfavorable prognosis and poor clinical response to the current therapeutic protocol.

Keywords: CD133, Sox2, astrocytoma, immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-181460

Journal: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 391-403, 2018