Tissue expression of manganese superoxide dismutase is a candidate prognostic marker for glioblastoma

Abstract

Background: Characterization of a rare subgroup of glioblastoma patients who survive for more than 3 years (longterm survival glioblastoma, LTSGBL, patients) may be helpful to identify prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: A molecular-profiling proteomic approach using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted la ser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used to identify prognostic factors associated with glioblastoma by comparing frozen tumor tissue from LTSGBL patients with matched samples from shortterm survival glioblastoma (STSGBL) patients. Western blot (WB) analysis, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immmunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used for confirmation. Results: Among most candidate spots identified by 2-DE, lack of overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in LTSGBL samples was consistently observed using WB and RT-PCR. Conclusion: These results suggest that MnSOD expression level in tumor tissue is a candidate marker for the prognosis of glioblastoma patients.