Expression of nuclear factor- κ B in human astrocytomas: relation to pI κ Ba, vascular endothelial growth factor, Cox-2, microvascular characteristics, and survival

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 39; no. 8; pp. 1143 - 1152
• Main Authors: Korkolopoulou, Penelope, MD, PhD, Levidou, Georgia, MD, Saetta, Angelica A., BSc, PhD, El-Habr, Elias, BSc, Eftichiadis, Christos, MD, Demenagas, Polychronis, BSc, Thymara, Irene, MD, PhD, Xiromeritis, Konstantinos, MD, Boviatsis, Efstathios, MD, PhD, Thomas-Tsagli, Euphemia, MD, Panayotidis, Ioannis, MD, PhD, Patsouris, Efstratios, MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-08-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Astrocytomas; Biological and medical sciences; Cox-2; Immunohistochemistry; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Microvascular characteristics; Neurology; NF- κB; Pathology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; pI κBa; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; VEGF; Immunohistochemistry; pI κBa; Microvascular characteristics; Cox-2; VEGF; NF- κB; Astrocytomas; Human; Nervous system diseases; Enzyme; Cyclooxygenase 2; Survival; Microcirculation; NF-κB; Anatomic pathology; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Glioma; pIκBa; Cox-2; VEGF; Microvascular characteristics; Astrocytomas; Immunohistochemistry; Central nervous system disease; Tumor; Oxidoreductases; Transcription factor NFκB; Astrocytoma
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2008.01.020

Summary Although NF- κ B has been reported to be constitutively activated in various neoplasms, little information is available about its clinical significance in astrocytomas. In this study, we investigated the association of NF κ B1/p50 and pI κ Ba immunohistochemical expression with clinicopathologic features, vascular endothelial growth factor, Cox-2, and microvascular parameters in paraffin-embedded tissue from 82 patients with astrocytomas. pI κ Ba expression was positively correlated with nuclear ( P = .0010) and negatively with cytoplasmic ( P = .0008) NF κ B1/p50 expression. Nuclear NF κ B1/p50 and pI κ Ba expression increased with tumor grade ( P = .0001 and P < .0001). Nuclear NF κ B1/p50 was associated with vascular endothelial growth factor ( P = .0079), Cox-2 ( P = .0500), and total vascular surface area ( P = .0430), although the latter was significant only in grades II and III. pI κ Ba was also positively correlated with microvessel caliber (pI κ Ba/area; P = .0087). Multivariate analysis selected NF κ B/p50 expression as an independent prognosticator not only for the entire cohort ( P = .0220), but also for grades II and III ( P = .0029) and grade IV cases ( P = .0310). Our results suggest that nuclear NF κ B1/p50 expression is dictated by its interaction with I κ Ba in astrocytomas and is associated with tumor grade and angiogenic factors, denoting the importance of nuclear NF κ B/p50 expression in patients' prognosis.