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Co-expression of midkine and pleiotrophin predicts poor survival in human glioma

Jinyang Ma1, Bojuan Lang2, Xiongwei Wang1

  • 1Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, Hubei, China.

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
|July 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Co-expression of midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) is linked to poorer outcomes in glioma patients. These proteins may serve as early diagnostic and prognostic markers for human gliomas.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Gliomas are primary brain tumors with variable prognoses.
  • Identifying reliable prognostic markers is crucial for effective patient management.
  • Midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) are growth factors implicated in tumorigenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prognostic relevance of midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) co-expression in human gliomas.
  • To determine if MK and PTN expression levels correlate with clinical parameters and survival outcomes.
  • To explore the potential of MK and PTN as diagnostic and prognostic markers in glioma.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry was used to assess MK and PTN protein expression in 168 glioma patients.
  • Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) evaluated MK and PTN mRNA levels in 45 paired glioma and paratumor tissues.
  • Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression were employed to assess prognostic significance.

Main Results:

  • Both MK and PTN protein and mRNA levels were significantly higher in glioma tissues compared to paratumor tissues.
  • Overexpression of MK or PTN correlated with higher World Health Organization (WHO) grade, lower Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), shorter time to recurrence, and poorer overall survival.
  • Co-expression of MK and PTN showed a stronger association with adverse prognosis than individual expression, and both were identified as independent prognostic factors for poor survival.

Conclusions:

  • The co-expression of midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) is significantly associated with adverse prognosis in glioma patients.
  • MK and PTN expression levels correlate with established prognostic indicators in gliomas.
  • Co-expressed MK and PTN may serve as a novel, independent early diagnostic and prognostic marker for human gliomas.
Keywords:
GliomaImmunohistochemistryMKPTNPrognosisSurvival

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