EXPRESSION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF nm23-H1 IN HUMAN BRAIN GLIOMA AND BRAIN METASTATIC CARCINOMA

Objective To study the immunohistochemical changes of nm23-H1 in human brain glioma(HBG) and human brain metastatic carcinoma(HBMC) as well as the role of nm23-H1 in biological behavior of the tumors. Methods The protein expression of nm23-H1 was examined with SABC immunohistochemical technique in six cases of normal brain, 18 cases of HBG and 12 cases of HBMC tissue samples. The correlation between the expression and the biological behavior of the tumors was analyzed. Results The level of nm23-H1 protein in normal brain tissue was higher than that in low-grade gliomas(WHO Grade Ⅱ) , but lower than that in high-grade gliomas(WHO Grade Ⅲ). The difference was significant(F=44.895,q=7.409,4.839,P0.01). The level of these protein in high-grade gliomas,human brain metastatic carcinomas and recurrent gliomas was significantly higher than that in low-grade gliomas and normal brain tissue (q=4.549-18.003,P0.01). Conclusion nm23-H1 may suppress the proliferation and the invasion of tumor cells in normal brain tissue and low-grade glioma, and may promote the proliferation and the invasion of the tumor cells in high-grade and recurrent gliomas as well as metastatic carcinoma.