Prognostic relevance of c-Myc and BMI1 expression in patients with glioblastoma

Am J Clin Pathol. 2012 Sep;138(3):390-6. doi: 10.1309/AJCPRXHNJQLO09QA.

Abstract

Although the c-Myc oncogene is frequently deregulated in human cancer, its involvement in the pathogenesis of glioblastoma is not clear. We conducted immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of c-Myc, polycomb ring finger oncogene (BMI1), and acetylation of the lysine 9 (H3K9Ac) of histone 3 in 48 patients with glioblastoma who underwent surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide treatment. The expression of c-Myc, BMI1, and H3K9ac was correlated with clinical characteristics and outcome. We found that overexpression of c-Myc was significantly associated with that of BMI1 (P = .009), and that patients who harbored glioblastomas overexpressing c-Myc and BMI1 showed significantly longer overall survival (P < .0001 and P = .0009, respectively). Our results provide the first evidence of the prognostic value of c-Myc and associated genes in patients with glioblastoma. The favorable effect of c-Myc and BMI1 expression on survival is likely mediated by the sensitization of cancer cells to radiotherapy and temozolomide through the activation of apoptotic pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / therapeutic use
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Brain Neoplasms / mortality
  • Brain Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives
  • Dacarbazine / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism*
  • Glioblastoma / mortality
  • Glioblastoma / radiotherapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Survival Rate
  • Temozolomide
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • BMI1 protein, human
  • MYC protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Dacarbazine
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Temozolomide