Virulence estimation by calculation of relative expression of NESTIN in different grades of astrocytoma among Iraqi patients

Abstract EN

Background : Astrocytoma, is heterogeneous tumorof the nervous systemand studies on the virulence of thesetumors reveal that theirbehavior isled by small population of cells which arethe brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) that drive the continuousproliferation and self-renewal.

From the many markers that annotate BTSCs, arethe CD133, and NESTIN.

Objectives : Using CD133, to immunolabe lBTSCs niches in paraffin sections of astrocytoma then, extraction of thesecells, to calculate fold expression of NESTIN gene across the grades by real time PCR.

Materials and methods : Paraffin blocks of four grades of primary astrocytoma have been selected from three age groups from Iraqi patients.

The age groups were stratified into: children (0-17years) adults (18-49years) and older (50-80years).

The samples were stainedwith CD133, thenpositive areaswereextracted to perform relative expressionof NESTIN geneby real time PCR Results : The expressionof NESTINfor all grades, increasedby tens of folds in relation to calibrator then this fold expression increaseddramatically in an ascendingmanner withincreasing of the grade in the same group.

The fold expression of NESTIN gene in all grades was the highest in the adulthood (18-49) yearsgroup.

Conclusion: Relative expression of NESTIN gene of BTSCs in different grades of astrocytoma can be a useful tool for the assessment of the virulence with ascending the grades.

This expressionwas the highest at age (18-49) years