Prognostic significance of CD147 in patients with glioblastoma

CD147, also known as extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer, is a widely distributed cell surface glycoprotein that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. CD147 has been proved to be enriched on the surface of many tumor cells, promoting tumor growth, invasion and metastasis by its stimulation effect on adjacent fibroblasts to produce matrix metalloproteinases. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression pattern of CD147 in glioblastoma (GBM) and investigate whether it could be used to assess subsequent prognosis of patients. For that, we recruited a total of 206 patients with pathologically confirmed GBM and 36 normal control brain tissue specimens. The expression of CD147 in GBM and normal tissues was investigated by immunohistochemistry assay. Genetic factors including MGMT and IDH1 mutation were also investigated to justify the prognostic significance of CD147. Results showed that CD147 expression was increased in GBM compared with that in normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that increased CD147 expression was associated with poor overall survival of patients with GBM. Moreover, Cox's proportional hazards model revealed that CD147 expression was an independent and significant prognostic marker of overall survival in GBM patients. These results proved that CD147 expression was relatively abundant in GBM and can be potentially used to predict prognosis and treatment response in GBM patients.