Gliomas are the most common intracranial neoplasm, they represents 31% of all primary brain tumors and 81% of malignant brain tumors diagnosed in United States from 2008 to 2012 according to CBTRUS (Ostrom et al., 2015).
Astrocytic gliomas are the most common glial neoplasms and account for about 60% of them (Huttner, 2012).
In Egypt, according to The National cancer institute, Cairo university registry, malignant CNS tumors account for 0.77% of total malignancy with adult predominance (54.44%).The male to female ratio was 1:1. Astrocytoma is the most common, it accounts for 67.1% of total CNS tumors, and 0.52% of total malignancy. Most of them were classified as fibrillary astrocytoma (WHO grade II) (Mokhtar et al., 2007).
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a heterodimeric transcription factor that consists of two subunits (α andβ). Under hypoxic conditions, HIF-1 binds to hypoxia-responsive elements and induces transcription of various target genes involved in tumor angiogenesis, invasion, cell survival and glucose metabolism (Chan et al., 2002).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of HIF-1 in different grades of astrocytoma and to compare these results with the clinicopathological data trying to assess the prognostic role of HIF-1 in astrocytoma. Statistical analysis was made for all grades.
This retrospective study was carried on 40 cases of astrocytoma. Eight cases were grade I, 9 cases were grade II, 10 cases were grade III and 13 cases were grade IV of astrocytoma.
There was a significant positive statistical correlation between grade of astrocytoma and age of studied cases, 3 years survival and recurrence of studied cases. However, no significant statistical relationship was found between grade of astrocytom and the gender of studied cases.
HIF-1 immunostaining was performed for each case and was correlated with clinicopathological parameters. HIF-1 was detected as nuclear brown granules and was scored as (-) if was expressed in ≤ 10 % of cells, (+) if expressed in 11-50% of cells and (++) if expressed in ≥ 51% of cells.
There was a highly significant statistical correlation between the grade of astrocytoma and the extent of HIF-1 expression (P value < 0.01). This indicates that HIF-1 may be involved in astrocytoma progression and carcinogenesis.
There was a significant statistical correlation between the extent of HIF-1 expression and age, 3 years survival and recurrence of studied cases (P value 0.05). WordpressInstagram
Further studies may be needed to detect prognostic value of HIF-1 in astrocytoma.
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