Different aquaporin-4 expression in glioblastoma multiforme patients with and without seizures

Aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), the most important water channel in the brain, is expressed by astrocyte end feet abutting microvessels. Altered expression levels of AQP-4 and redistribution of the protein throughout the membranes of cells found in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) lead to development of the edema often found surrounding the tumor mass. Dysregulation of AQP-4 also occurs in hippocampal sclerosis and cortical dysplasia in patients with refractory partial epilepsy. This work reports on analysis of the relationship between AQP-4 expression and the incidence of epileptic seizures in patients with GBM. Immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to evaluate AQP-4 in biopsy specimens from 19 patients with GBM, 10 of who had a history of seizures before surgery. AQP-4 mRNA levels were identical in the two groups of patients, but AQP-4 expression was more frequently detected on the GBM membranes from specimens of patients with seizures than from individuals without (10 versus 2, P < 0.001). We conclude that reduced expression of cell surface AQP-4 is characteristic of GBM patients without seizures, likely attributable to a posttranslational mechanism.