Prognostic Factors of Low-Grade Gliomas in Adults

Adult low-grade gliomas are a rare and aggressive pathology of the central nervous system. Some of their characteristics contribute to the patient's life expectancy and to their management. This study aimed to characterize and identify the main prognostic factors of low-grade gliomas. The six-year retrospective study statistically analyzed the demographic, imaging, and morphogenetic characteristics of the patient group through appropriate parameters. Immunohistochemical tests were performed: IDH1, Ki-67, p53, and Nestin, as well as FISH tests on the CDKN2A gene and 1p/19q codeletion. The pathology was prevalent in females, with patients having an average age of 56.31 years. The average tumor volume was 41.61 cm³, producing a midline shift with an average of 7.5 mm. Its displacement had a negative impact on survival. The presence of a residual tumor resulted in decreased survival and is an independent risk factor for mortality. Positivity for p53 identified a low survival rate. CDKN2A mutations were an independent risk factor for mortality. We identified that a negative prognosis is influenced by the association of epilepsy with headache, tumor volume, and immunoreactivity to IDH1 and p53. Independent factors associated with mortality were midline shift, presence of tumor residue, and CDKN2A gene deletions and amplifications.

Aggressiveness of Grade 4 Gliomas of Adults

Grade 4 adult gliomas are IDH-mutant astrocytomas and IDH-wildtype glioblastomas. They have a very high mortality rate, with survival at 5 years not exceeding 5%. We aimed to conduct a clinical imaging and morphogenetic characterization of them, as well as to identify the main negative prognostic factors that give them such aggressiveness. We conducted a ten-year retrospective study. We followed the clinical, imaging, and morphogenetic aspects of the cases. We analyzed immunohistochemical markers (IDH1, Ki-67, and nestin) and FISH tests based on the CDKN2A gene. The obtained results were analyzed using SPSS Statistics with the appropriate parameters. The clinical aspects representing negative prognostic factors were represented by patients’ comorbidities: hypertension (HR = 1.776) and diabetes mellitus/hyperglycemia (HR = 2.159). The lesions were mostly supratentorial, and the temporal lobe was the most affected. The mean volume was 88.05 cm3 and produced a midline shift with an average of 8.52 mm. Subtotal surgical resection was a negative prognostic factor (HR = 1.877). The proliferative index did not influence survival rate, whereas CDKN2A gene mutations were shown to have a major impact on survival. We identified the main negative prognostic factors that support the aggressiveness of grade 4 gliomas: patient comorbidities, type of surgical resection, degree of cell differentiation, and CDKN2A gene mutations.

Morphogenetic and Imaging Characteristics in Giant Cell Glioblastoma

Giant cell glioblastoma is a rare tumor entity of IDH-wildtype glioblastoma. It is usually found in the pediatric population. We describe a particular case of a female patient diagnosed histopathologically with giant cell glioblastoma, who had two recurrences in different lobes of the same cerebral hemisphere, despite positive prognostic factors and appropriate treatment. We performed an immunohistochemical characterization of giant cell glioblastoma as well as an analysis of its aggressiveness using the cytogenetic markers TP53, CDKN2A, and TP73 using the FISH technique. The clinical picture was inconsistant, the suspicion being completely different initially. Paraclinical examination and imaging initially suggested a metastasis to the insular lobe. After surgery, histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations were the basis for the diagnosis. Despite the prognostic factors known so far in the literature, the aggressiveness denoted by multiple relapses and morphogenetic tests particularizes the case and improves the literature by bringing new information about this rare neoplasm of the central nervous system.

Therapeutic implications of immunohistochemical expression pattern of the cancer stem cell marker (nestin) in basal and squamous cell carcinomas

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are populations of cells responsible for tumor initiation, progression and therapeutic resistance in many cancers. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression pattern and clinical significance of the stem cell marker nestin, in Squaous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The samples (23 cases of BCC and 22 cases of SCC) were immunohistochemically examined for the expression of nestin and its correlation with the corresponding clinical and pathological parameters. Nestin was expressed in four out of the 23 cases of BCC (17.4%) and was expressed in 10 out of the 22 cases of SCC (45.5%). Nestin expression between the two tumors was statistically significant (P = .042). Although a direct relationship was found between the tumor grade and nestin expression, the results were statistically insignificant (P = .495). The results of this study suggest that BCC and SCC may share some cellular origin but with different biologic behavior. The relation of nestin expression to the grade of SCC, although statistically insignificant, may suggest its role in predicting the biologic behavior of this tumor.