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Published on: January 9, 2019
Reduced Serum sRANKL and sTREM2 Levels in High-Grade Gliomas: Association with Prognosis
Mustafa Efendioğlu1, Elif Şanli1, Ceren Türkoğlu2
1Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Serum soluble RANKL (sRANKL) and TREM2 (sTREM2) levels are lower in high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Lower sRANKL levels correlate with shorter survival, suggesting sRANKL as a potential prognostic biomarker for HGG.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Biomarker Discovery
- Tumor Immunology
Background:
- High-grade gliomas (HGG), including Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are aggressive primary brain tumors.
- Limited diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers exist for HGG, necessitating new markers.
- Investigating serum levels of sRANKL and sTREM2 as potential biomarkers for HGG.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prognostic value of serum soluble RANKL (sRANKL) and TREM2 (sTREM2) in patients with high-grade gliomas (HGG).
Main Methods:
- Serum sRANKL and sTREM2 levels were measured using ELISA in 12 HGG patients, 14 non-glial tumor patients, and 20 healthy controls.
- Overall survival was recorded for all patients.
- Tumor immunohistochemistry for p53 and Ki67 was performed on HGG samples.
Main Results:
- HGG and non-glial tumor patients exhibited lower serum sRANKL and sTREM2 levels compared to healthy controls.
- Serum sRANKL levels showed a significant inverse correlation with overall survival in HGG patients (p=0.002).
- Serum sTREM2 levels were inversely correlated with p53 scores (p=0.018) but not with patient survival.
Conclusions:
- Patients with brain tumors display reduced peripheral circulation levels of glial activity biomarkers.
- Serum sRANKL levels demonstrate potential as a prognostic biomarker for high-grade gliomas.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical utility of sRANKL in HGG management.
Introduction:
High-grade gliomas (HGG), including Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), account for the majority of primary brain tumors. Nevertheless, prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers are quite limited for HGG. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of sRANKL and sTREM2 levels in HGG patients.
Methods:
Twelve consecutive patients with HGG, 14 patients with non-glial tumors (non-GT) and 20 age and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited. Overall survival duration of the patients was recorded. Pre-operative serum levels of sRANKL and sTREM2 were measured by ELISA. Tumors of HGG patients were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for p53 and Ki67 and percentage scores were calculated.
Results:
Patients with HGG and non-GT showed lower serum sRANKL and sTREM2 levels than healthy individuals. Levels of sRANKL were inversely correlated with the overall survival of patients (p=0.002, R=0.787), while sTREM2 levels were inversely correlated with p53 score (p=0.018, R=-0.666) but not survival.
Conclusion:
Brain tumor patients show suppressed levels of glial activity biomarkers in the peripheral circulation. Serum sRANKL levels may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for HGG.
