Co-expressions of Nanog gene, CD133 and GFAP in gliomas and their correlations

Objective To study the co-expressions of human glioma transcription factor (Nanog gene) with brain tumor stem cell marker (CD133) and glioma differentiation marker (GFAP), and demonstrate the significance of Nanog gene in the development of glioma. Methods The double-labeled of Nanog/CD133 and Nanog/GFAP were detected by immunohistochemical double staining in 60 cases of human gliomas (19 with grade Ⅱ, 23 with grade Ⅲ and 18 with grade Ⅳ according to WHO 2000 classification of nervous system tumors). The percentages of Nanog+ cells, CD133+ cells,GFAP+ cells, Nanog+/CD133+ cells and Nanog+/GFAP+ cells in glioma tissues of different grades were calculated and compared. Results The percentages of Nanog+, CD133+, and Nanog+/CD133+ cells in different pathological levels of gliomas were significantly different (P＜0.05), and the expressions of Nanog+, CD133+, and Nanog+/CD133+ in gliomas of grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ were significantly higher than those in glioma of grade Ⅱ (P＜0.05). The Nanog+ expression and CD133+ expression were positively correlated (r=0.904, P=0.000), and the Nanog+/CD133+ expression and CD133+ expression were positively related too (r=0.823, P=0.000). The percentages of GFAP+ cells in different pathological levels of gliomas were significantly different (P＜0.05), and the expression of GFAP+ in gliomas of grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ were significantly higher than that in glioma of grade Ⅱ (P＜0.05). No statistical significance of percentage of Nanog+/GFAP+ cells was noted in different pathological levels of gliomas (P＞0.05).Conclusion The Nanog gene and stem cell marker CD 133 has a significant correlation, and they enjoy significant co-expressions in cellular level. Nanog gene may be a marker of glioma stem cells, and plays a vital role in maintaining the cancer stem cells under the undifferentiated state. Key words: Glioma;  Immunohistochemistry;  Nanog;  CD133;  GFAP