Caveolin-1 expression in diffuse gliomas: correlation with the proliferation index, epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, and 1p/19q status

Barresi, Valeria; Buttarelli, Francesca Romana; Vitarelli E, Enrica; Arcella, Antonella; Antonelli, Manila; Giangaspero, Felice

doi:10.1016/j.humpath.2009.04.026

« Previous Next »Human Pathology
Volume 40, Issue 12 , Pages 1738-1746, December 2009

Caveolin-1 expression in diffuse gliomas: correlation with the proliferation index, epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, and 1p/19q status☆

Valeria Barresi, MD
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Corresponding author. Department Human Pathology, Policlinico Universitario G. Martino, Pad D, 98125 Messina, Italy.
Francesca Romana Buttarelli, BBs
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
Enrica Vitarelli E, Bbs
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Antonella Arcella, Bbs
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli (Is), Italy
Manila Antonelli, MD
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
Felice Giangaspero, MD
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli (Is), Italy

Received 6 February 2009; received in revised form 23 March 2009; accepted 13 April 2009. published online 28 August 2009.

Summary

Caveolin-1 (cav-1) has been proposed as an immunohistochemical marker able to distinguish astroglial from oligodendroglial tumors. In addition, it has been suggested that the reduction of caveolin-1 expression in glioblastoma cells increases their proliferative and invasive potential. Accordingly, the present study investigates caveolin-1 immunoexpression and correlation with the 1p/19q status, histologic grade, proliferation index, epidermal growth factor receptor, and p53 expression in a series of 73 diffuse gliomas. A membranous and cytoplasmic immunolabeling for caveolin-1 was detected in neoplastic cells of 60% of cases. No significant differences in terms of caveolin-1 expression were observed between astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and oligoastrocytomas. In addition, caveolin-1 expression was not correlated with 1p/19q status in oligodendrogliomas and mixed oligoastrocytomas. Caveolin-1 was expressed in most high-grade (World Health Organization III and IV) gliomas. Low caveolin-1 expression correlated with a higher Ki-67 labeling index and the absence of p53 overexpression in glioblastomas, and it was significantly associated with epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression in anaplastic astrocytomas. In conclusion, the present study indicates that caveolin-1 is not useful as diagnostic marker to differentiate grade II astrocytomas from oligodendrogliomas.

Keywords: Cav-1, Glioma, Ki-67, EGFR, p53