Genetic, epigenetic, and molecular landscapes of multifocal and multicentric glioblastoma

Q Liu, Y Liu, W Li, X Wang, R Sawaya, FF Lang… - Acta …, 2015 - Springer
Q Liu, Y Liu, W Li, X Wang, R Sawaya, FF Lang, WKA Yung, K Chen, GN Fuller, W Zhang
Acta neuropathologica, 2015Springer
Ten to twenty percent of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients initially present with
multiple lesions, termed multifocal or multicentric GBM (M-GBM). The prognosis of these
patients is poorer than that of solitary GBM (S-GBM) patients. However, it is unknown
whether multifocality has a genetic, epigenetic, or molecular basis. Here, we identified the
genetic and epigenetic characteristics of M-GBM by performing a comprehensive analysis of
multidimensional data, including imaging, genetic, epigenetic, and gene expression profiles …
Abstract
Ten to twenty percent of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients initially present with multiple lesions, termed multifocal or multicentric GBM (M-GBM). The prognosis of these patients is poorer than that of solitary GBM (S-GBM) patients. However, it is unknown whether multifocality has a genetic, epigenetic, or molecular basis. Here, we identified the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of M-GBM by performing a comprehensive analysis of multidimensional data, including imaging, genetic, epigenetic, and gene expression profiles, from 30 M-GBM cases in The Cancer Genome Atlas database and comparing the results with those of 173 S-GBM cases. We found that M-GBMs had no IDH1, ATRX, or PDGFRA mutations and were significantly associated with the mesenchymal subtype. We also identified the CYB5R2 gene to be hypo-methylated and overexpressed in M-GBMs. The expression level of CYB5R2 was significantly associated with patient survival in two major independent GBM cohorts, totaling 758 cases. The IDH1 mutation was markedly associated with CYB5R2 promoter methylation, but the survival influence of CYB5R2 was independent of IDH1 mutation status. CYB5R2 expression was significantly associated with collagen maturation and the catabolic process and immunoregulation pathways. These results reveal that M-GBMs have some underlying genetic and epigenetic characteristics that are associated with poor prognosis and that CYB5R2 is a new epigenetic marker for GBM prognosis.
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