Comparative immunohistochemical analysis of aurora-A and aurora-B expression in human glioblastomas. Associations with proliferative activity and clinicopathological features

Pathol Res Pract. 2009;205(11):765-73. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2009.06.011. Epub 2009 Jul 18.

Abstract

In the present study, we carried out a comparative immunohistochemical analysis of aurora-A and aurora-B expression in 40 patients with primary glioblastomas, and attempted to identify any associations with Ki-67 index and the patients' clinical features. The impact of various treatment modalities and proliferative activity on patient outcome was also assessed. Immunohistochemistry was carried out using formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Aurora-A expression was higher in tumors with high Ki-67 expression (p=0.01) and was positively, though marginally, related to aurora-B expression (p=0.085). Aurora-B expression was not linked to Ki-67 expression (p=0.182). Lower aurora-A immunohistochemical expression, chemotherapy administration, and tumor localization in one lobe of the brain implied a greater probability of patient survival in univariate analysis (p=0.044, p=0.008, p=0.041, respectively). Ki-67 and aurora-B immunoreactivities were not associated with patient survival (p=0.918 and p=0.539, respectively). To our knowledge, for the first time, the association between aurora-A and aurora-B expression, the correlation of aurora-A with Ki-67 index, and the prognostic impact of aurora-A expression were assessed in glioblastomas. Although we addressed a prognostic connotation of aurora-A, we presume that aurora-A and aurora-B play a complicated role within glioblastomas. Further examinations of larger series are required, so that definite conclusions can be drawn.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Brain Neoplasms / mortality
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Cerebral Cortex / metabolism*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism*
  • Glioblastoma / mortality
  • Glioblastoma / therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Ki-67 Antigen / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Ki-67 Antigen
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases