Expression of FAS-L Differs from Primary to Relapsed Low-grade Gliomas and Predicts Progression-free Survival

Anticancer Res. 2017 Dec;37(12):6639-6648. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12121.

Abstract

Background/aim: The tumor necrosis factor FAS is overexpressed in high-grade gliomas (HGG). Only little is known about FAS or FAS ligand (FAS-L) in low-grade gliomas (LGG). We explored FAS/FAS-L expression in LGG, focusing on differences in primary and relapsed LGG and on its prognostic value.

Patients and methods: A total of 133 glioma samples (73 LGG, 60 HGG) were collected. The LGG samples included 15 matched pairs of primary and relapsed tumors. RT-PCR was performed to measure FAS/FAS-L expression, using subunit A, flavoprotein variant (SDHA) as housekeeper. Clinical data included progression free- (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results: LGG showed significantly lower FAS but higher FAS-L expression than HGG. The FAS-L expression was higher in primary compared to relapsed LGG and had a positive prognostic value concerning PFS (median 45.20 vs. 31.37 months).

Conclusion: FAS-L could act as a prognostic marker and potential target in primary LGG.

Keywords: CD95; CD95L; FAS; FAS-L; Glioma; LGG; low-grade glioma.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Disease Progression
  • Fas Ligand Protein / genetics*
  • Fas Ligand Protein / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Glioma / genetics*
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Prognosis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • fas Receptor / genetics
  • fas Receptor / metabolism

Substances

  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • fas Receptor