Expression and release of CD14 in astrocytic brain tumors

CD14 is a membrane-bound lipopolysaccharide receptor or, lacking the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, is secreted to modulate cellular and humoral immune response by interacting directly with T and B cells. Because immunodepletion is thought to contribute to the grim prognosis of glioblastoma patients, we analyzed expression and release of CD14 in rat and human astrocytomas and glioma cell lines. Immunohistochemistry of 50 glioma biopsy specimens from low-grade diffuse astrocytoma (WHO grade II), anaplastic astrocytoma (WHO grade III) and glioblastoma (WHO grade IV), and of the C6 rat glioma model demonstrated significantly more CD14-immunoreactive macrophages/microglial cells in glioblastomas than in less malignant gliomas. In WHO grade II and III astrocytomas, only perivascular cells showed immunoreactivity with CD14. In glioblastomas, CD14-immunoreactive cells were mainly found scattered throughout the entire tumor parenchyma. Double labeling experiments demonstrated CD14 immunoreactivity predominantly in CD68-expressing macrophages/microglial cells and some glioma cells. Western blotting, reverse transcription-PCR and consecutive sequencing confirmed expression and release of CD14 by four of six analyzed glioma cell lines. These results demonstrate that CD14 is expressed, and more importantly released, from a subset of human glioma cells and infiltrating macrophages/microglial cells that may contribute to immunodepletion observed in these patients.