Association of Aggresomes with Survival Outcomes in Pediatric Medulloblastoma

Sci Rep. 2019 Aug 30;9(1):12605. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49027-x.

Abstract

Aggresomes are inclusion bodies for misfolded/aggregated proteins. Despite the role of misfolded/aggregated proteins in neurological disorders, their role in cancer pathogenesis is poorly defined. In the current study we aimed to investigate whether aggresomes-positivity could be used to improve the disease subclassification and prognosis prediction of pediatric medulloblastoma. Ninety three pediatric medulloblastoma tumor samples were retrospectively stratified into three molecular subgroups; WNT, SHH and non-WNT/non-SHH, using immunohistochemistry and Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification. Formation of aggresomes were detected using immunohistochemistry. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were determined according to risk stratification criteria. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were carried out to exclude confounders. Aggresomes formation was detected in 63.4% (n = 59/93) of samples. Aggresomes were non-randomly distributed among different molecular subgroups (P = 0.00002). Multivariate Cox model identified aggresomes' percentage at ≥20% to be significantly correlated with patient outcome in both OS (HR = 3.419; 95% CI, 1.30-8.93; P = 0.01) and EFS (HR = 3; 95% CI, 1.19-7.53; P = 0.02). The presence of aggresomes in ≥20% of the tumor identified poor responders in standard risk patients; OS (P = 0.02) and EFS (P = 0.06), and significantly correlated with poor outcome in non-WNT/non-SHH molecular subgroup; OS (P = 0.0002) and EFS (P = 0.0004).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Hedgehog Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medulloblastoma / classification
  • Medulloblastoma / epidemiology
  • Medulloblastoma / genetics*
  • Medulloblastoma / pathology
  • Pediatrics
  • Prognosis
  • Protein Aggregates / genetics*
  • Proteostasis Deficiencies / classification
  • Proteostasis Deficiencies / epidemiology
  • Proteostasis Deficiencies / genetics*
  • Proteostasis Deficiencies / pathology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Protein Aggregates
  • SHH protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins