Significance of IDH mutations varies with tumor histology, grade, and genetics in Japanese glioma patients

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 are found frequently in malignant gliomas and are likely involved in early gliomagenesis. To understand the prevalence of these mutations and their relationship to other genetic alterations and impact on prognosis for Japanese glioma patients, we analyzed 250 glioma cases. Mutations of IDH1 and IDH2 were found in 73 (29%) and 2 (1%) cases, respectively. All detected mutations were heterozygous, and most mutations were an Arg132His (G395A) substitution. IDH mutations were frequent in oligodendroglial tumors (37/52, 71%) and diffuse astrocytomas (17/29, 59%), and were less frequent in anaplastic astrocytomas (8/29, 28%) and glioblastomas (13/125, 10%). The pilocytic astrocytomas and gangliogliomas did not have either mutation. Notably, 28 of 30 oligodendroglial tumors harboring the 1p/19q co-deletion also had an IDH mutation, and these alterations were significantly correlated (P < 0.001). The association between TP53 and IDH mutation was significant in diffuse astrocytomas (P = 0.0018). MGMT promoter methylation was significantly associated with IDH mutation in grade 2 (P < 0.001) and grade 3 (P = 0.02) gliomas. IDH mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion were independent favorable prognostic factors for patients with grade 3 gliomas. For patients with grade 3 gliomas and without 1p/19q co-deletion, IDH mutation was strongly associated with increased progression-free survival (P < 0.0001) and overall survival (P < 0.0001), but no such marked correlation was observed with grade 2 gliomas or glioblastomas. Therefore, IDH mutation would be most useful when assessing prognosis of patients with grade 3 glioma with intact 1p/19q; anaplastic astrocytomas account for most of these grade 3 gliomas.     

Genetic profile of astrocytic and oligodendroglial gliomas

Low-grade diffuse gliomas WHO grade II (diffuse astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, oligodendroglioma) are characterized by frequent IDH1/2 mutations (>80%) that occur at a very early stage. In addition, the majority of diffuse astrocytomas (about 60%) carry TP53 mutations, which constitute a prognostic marker for shorter survival. Oligodendrogliomas show frequent loss at 1p/19q (about 70% of cases), which is associated with longer survival. With respect to clinical outcome, molecular classification on the basis of IDH1/2 mutations, TP53 mutations, and 1p/19q loss showed a predictive power similar to histological classification. IDH1/2 mutations are frequent (>80%) in secondary glioblastomas that have progressed from low-grade or anaplastic astrocytomas. Primary (de novo) glioblastomas with IDH1/2 mutations are very rare (<5%); they show an age distribution and genetic profile similar to secondary glioblastomas and are probably misclassified. Using the presence of IDH1/2 mutations as a diagnostic criterion, secondary glioblastomas account for approximately 10% of all glioblastomas. IDH1/2 mutations are the most significant predictor of favorable outcome of glioblastoma patients. The high frequency of IDH1/2 mutations in oligodendrogliomas, astrocytomas, and secondary glioblastomas derived thereof suggests these tumors share a common progenitor cell population. The absence of this molecular marker in primary glioblastomas suggests a different cell of origin; both glioblastoma subtypes acquire a similar histological phenotype as a result of common genetic alterations, including the loss of tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 10q.     

Molecular pathogenesis of IDH mutations in gliomas

The isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) or 2 (IDH2) genes are mutated in 50-80% of astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas or oligoastrocytomas of grades II and III, and secondary glioblastomas; they are, however, seldom mutated in primary glioblastomas and never in other types of glioma. Gliomas with IDH1/2 mutations always harbor either TP53 mutations or total 1p/19q loss. This suggests these two types of tumor may arise from common progenitor cells that have IDH1/2 mutations, subsequently evolving into each tumor type with the acquisition of TP53 mutations or total 1p/19q loss. Survival is significantly longer for patients with IDH-mutated gliomas than for those with IDH-wild type tumors. This observation indicates that IDH status defines biologically different subgroups among gliomas. The molecular pathogenesis of IDH1/2 mutations in the development of gliomas is unclear. The mutated IDH1/2 enzyme generates D-2-hydroxyglutarate. Several theories have been proposed, including: increased angiogenesis because of accumulation of HIF-1α; a glioma CpG island methylator phenotype (G-CIMP) induced by inhibition of TET2; and increased vulnerability to oxidative stress because of depletion of antioxidants. Elucidating the pathogenesis of IDH mutations will aid better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of gliomagenesis and may lead to the development of novel molecular classification and therapy.     

IDH1/2 mutations target a key hallmark of cancer by deregulating cellular metabolism in glioma

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzymes have recently become a focal point for research aimed at understanding the biology of glioma. IDH1 and IDH2 are mutated in 50%–80% of astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, oligoastrocytomas, and secondary glioblastomas but are seldom mutated in primary glioblastomas. Gliomas with IDH1/2 mutations always harbor other molecular aberrations, such as TP53 mutation or 1p/19q loss. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations may serve as prognostic factors because patients with an IDH-mutated glioma survive significantly longer than those with an IDH–wild-type tumor. However, the molecular pathogenic role of IDH1/2 mutations in the development of gliomas is unclear. The production of 2-hydroxyglutarate and enhanced NADP+ levels in tumor cells with mutant IDH1/2 suggest mechanisms through which these mutations contribute to tumorigenesis. Elucidating the pathogenesis of IDH mutations will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of gliomagenesis and may lead to development of a new molecular classification system and novel therapies.     

Histopathological malignant progression of grade II and III gliomas correlated with IDH1/2 mutation status

The impact of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1/2) mutations on the malignant progression of gliomas was investigated by comparing the histopathological features of 53 grade II and III gliomas after recurrence according to the IDH1/2 status. We identified IDH1/2 mutations in 44.4?% (16 of 36) of astrocytic tumors and 70.6?% (12 of 17) of oligodendroglial tumors. Histopathological malignant progression was observed in 68.8?% (11 in 16) and 55?% (11 in 20) of astrocytic tumors with and without IDH1/2 mutations, respectively. There were 8 secondary glioblastomas (GBM) that had progressed from 5 diffuse astrocytomas (DA) and 3 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA) with IDH1/2 mutations. Seven secondary GBMs were derived from 3 DAs and 4 AAs with wild-type IDH1/2. Malignant progression was observed in 47.1?% (8 of 17) of oligodendroglial tumors. All 12 oligodendroglial tumors with IDH1/2 mutations remained as such without progressing to GBM, whereas 3 of the 5 oligodendroglial tumors without IDH1/2 mutations progressed to GBM at recurrence. In conclusion, grade II and III gliomas developed to more malignant histological types, irrespective of the IDH1/2 mutation status, and the monitoring of the IDH1/2 status could be of value to predict the development of GBM in patients with oligodendroglial tumors.     

IDH1 mutation of gliomas with long-term survival analysis

A recurrent mutation affecting codon 132 of the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene has been found in ~5% of primary glioblastomas (GBMs), but in >70% of secondary GBMs or oligodendroglial and astrocytic tumors. We investigated IDH1 mutations in a series of 134 brain tumors to determine the prevalence and prognostic impact of IDH1 mutations. We also examined the correlations among histology, p53 and PTEN immunoexpression, MGMT methylation status, 1p 19q co-deletion and EGFR gene amplification. The 134 brain tumors included 41 low-grade oligodendrogliomas (LOs), 47 anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AOs) and 46 primary GBMs. Data showed that 53.7% (72/134) of cases showed mutations affecting codon 132 of IDH1, including 73.2% of LOs, 82.9% of AOs and three primary GBMs (6.5%). All IDH1 mutations were Arg132His. In a survival analysis, patients with IDH1 mutations had better survival compared to those with wild-type IDH1 (p<0.05) in LOs and AOs, but not in primary GBMs (p=0.587). In addition, in patients with both IDH1 mutation and MGMT methylation, p53 overexpression was a significant poor prognostic factor both in LOs and AOs. However, IDH1 mutation was not correlated with common genetic profiles that affect patient prognosis, including MGMT methylation, 1p 19q co-deletion, PTEN loss and EGFR amplification in LOs, AOs and GBMs. From our results, IDH1 mutation was an independent positive prognostic factor in LOs and AOs, especially in the absence of p53 overexpression.     

Clinical multiplexed exome sequencing distinguishes adult oligodendroglial neoplasms from astrocytic and mixed lineage gliomas

Classifying adult gliomas remains largely a histologic diagnosis based on morphology; however astrocytic, oligodendroglial and mixed lineage tumors can display overlapping histologic features. We used multiplexed exome sequencing (OncoPanel) on 108 primary or recurrent adult gliomas, comprising 65 oligodendrogliomas, 28 astrocytomas and 15 mixed oligoastrocytomas to identify lesions that could enhance lineage classification. Mutations in TP53 (20/28, 71%) and ATRX (15/28, 54%) were enriched in astrocytic tumors compared to oligodendroglial tumors of which 4/65 (6%) had mutations in TP53 and 2/65 (3%) had ATRX mutations. We found that oligoastrocytomas harbored mutations in TP53 (80%, 12/15) and ATRX (60%, 9/15) at frequencies similar to pure astrocytic tumors, suggesting that oligoastrocytomas and astrocytomas may represent a single genetic or biological entity. p53 protein expression correlated with mutation status and showed significant increases in astrocytomas and oligoastrocytomas compared to oligodendrogliomas, a finding that also may facilitate accurate classification. Furthermore our OncoPanel analysis revealed that 15% of IDH1/2 mutant gliomas would not be detected by traditional IDH1 (p.R132H) antibody testing, supporting the use of genomic technologies in providing clinically relevant data. In all, our results demonstrate that multiplexed exome sequencing can support evaluation and classification of adult low-grade gliomas with a single clinical test.     

Correlation of histology and molecular genetic analysis of 1p, 19q, 10q, TP53, EGFR, CDK4, and CDKN2A in 91 astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors.

PURPOSE: The histological diagnosis of human gliomas is of great importance for estimating patient prognosis and guiding therapy but suffers from being subjective and, therefore, variable. We hypothesized that molecular genetic analysis could provide a more objective means to classify tumors and, thus, reduce diagnostic variability. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We performed molecular genetic analysis on 91 nonselected gliomas for 1p, 19q, 10q, TP53, epidermal growth factor receptor, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 abnormalities and compared with the consensus diagnoses established among four independent neuropathologists. RESULTS: There were six astrocytomas, seven anaplastic astrocytomas, 45 glioblastomas, 21 oligodendrogliomas, eight anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, three oligoastrocytomas, and one anaplastic oligoastrocytoma. Twenty-nine cases had either 1p or 19qloss of heterozygosity (LOH) while retaining both copies of 10q, of which 25 (86%) were histologically oligodendroglioma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, oligoastrocytoma, or anaplastic oligoastrocytoma. As for the oligodendroglial tumors, unanimous agreement of the initial diagnoses was almost restricted to those cases with combined 1p/19qLOH, whereas all nine tumors without 1p loss initially received variable diagnoses. Interestingly, TP53 mutation was inversely related to 1pLOH in all gliomas (P = 0.0003) but not 19qLOH (P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that molecular genetic analysis of 1p/19q/10q/TP53 has significant diagnostic value, especially in detecting oligodendroglial tumors. In addition, 1pLOH and TP53 mutations in gliomas may be markers of oligodendroglial and astrocytic pathways, respectively, which may separate gliomas with the same histological diagnosis, especially oligodendroglial tumors and glioblastomas. Testing for those molecular genetic alterations would be essential to obtain more homogeneous sets of gliomas for the future clinical studies.     

Molecular genetics of adult grade II gliomas: towards a comprehensive tumor classification system

Adult grade II low-grade gliomas (LGG) are classified according to the WHO as astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas or mixed gliomas. TP53 mutations and 1p19q codeletion are the main molecular abnormalities recorded, respectively, in astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas and in mixed gliomas. Although IDH mutations (IDH1 or IDH2) are recorded in up to 85?% of low-grade gliomas, IDH negative gliomas do occur. We have searched for p53 expression, 1p19q codeletion and IDH status (immunohistochemical detection of the common R132H IDH1 mutation and IDH direct sequencing). Internexin alpha (INA) expression previously recorded to be associated with 1p19q codeletion (1p19q+) gliomas was also analysed. Low-grade gliomas were accurately classified into four groups: group 1, IDH+/p53?/1p19q?; group 2, IDH+/p53?/1p19q+; group 3, IDH+/p53+/1p19q?; and group 4, triple negative gliomas. In contrast to the WHO classification, this molecular classification predicts overall survival on uni- and multivariate analysis (P?=?0.001 and P?=?0.007, respectively). Group 4 carries the worst prognosis and group 2 the best. Interestingly, p53?+/INA? expression predicts lack of 1p19q codeletion (specificity 100?%, VPP 100?%). The combined use of these three molecular markers allow for an accurate prediction of survival in LGG. These findings could significantly modify LGG classification and may represent a new tool to guide patient-tailored therapy. Moreover, immunohistochemical detection of p53, INA and mR132H IDH1 expression could represent an interesting prescreening test to be performed before 1p19q codeletion, IDH1 minor mutation and IDH2 mutation detection.     

Diagnostic and prognostic value of alpha internexin expression in a series of 409 gliomas

The neuronal intermediate filament alpha internexin (INA) is expressed in most gliomas with 1p19q codeletion and could represent a valuable prognostic marker in clinical routine. INA expression was analysed on 409 gliomas and correlated with histology, progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), genomic profile assessed by CGH-array, IDH1/IDH2 mutation and p53 expression. INA was expressed in 59% of grade II oligodendrogliomas (n = 73), 45% of grade III oligodendrogliomas (n = 133), 15% of grade II oligoastrocytomas (n = 61), 12% of grade III oligoastrocytomas (n = 41), 23% of glioblastomas with oligodendroglial component (n = 31), 0% of grade I astrocytomas (n = 3), 0% of grade II astrocytomas (n = 14), 6% of grade III astrocytomas (n = 17) and 0% of glioblastomas (n = 36). INA expression was detected in 85% of gliomas with complete 1p19q codeletion (‘true 1p19q signature’) (n = 85) versus 15% of gliomas without 1p19q codeletion (n = 245), including 14% of gliomas with variable/partial 1p19q deletion (‘false 1p19q signature’) (n = 72) (p < 0.0001). INA was expressed by 43% of gliomas with IDH1 mutation (n = 197) versus 12% of gliomas without IDH1 mutation (n = 156) (p < 0.0001). In oligodendroglial gliomas (n = 240), INA expression specificity for 1p19q codeletion was 80%, sensitivity 85%, positive predictive value 70%, and negative predictive value was 91%. Combining INA and p53 expressions improved INA predictive accuracy for 1p19q codeletion. In grade III gliomas, INA expression was associated with longer PFS (42.1 versus 10.2 months, p = 0.0007) and longer OS (124.6 versus 20.6 months, p = 0.0001). In conclusion, INA expression is a fast, cheap and reliable prognostic marker, and represents a surrogate marker for 1p19q complete codeletion.     

Molecular and histologic characteristics of pseudoprogression in diffuse gliomas

During the 6 month period following chemoradiotherapy, gliomas frequently develop new areas of contrast enhancement, which are due to treatment effect rather than tumor progression. We sought to characterize this phenomenon in oligodendrogliomas (OG) and mixed oligoastrocytomas (MOA). We reviewed the imaging findings from 143 patients with a WHO grade II or III OG or MOA for evidence of pseudoprogression (PsP) or early tumor progression. We characterized these cases for 1p/19q codeletions by FISH, IDH1 R132H mutation by immunohistochemistry, and TP53, ATRX, and EGFR mutations by next generation sequencing. We then reviewed the pathologic specimens of the patient cases in which a re-resection was performed. We found that OG and MOA that are 1p/19q intact developed PsP at a higher rate than tumors that are 1p/19q codeleted (27 vs. 8?%). Moreover, IDH1 wild-type (WT) tumors developed PsP at a higher rate than IDH1 R132H cases (27 vs. 11?%). Patients with ATRX or TP53 mutations developed PsP at an intermediate rate of 21?%. Ten patients in our cohort underwent a re-resection for early contrast enhancement; these tumors were predominantly 1p/19q intact (90?%) and had a low rate of IDH1 R132H mutation (50?%). 8 of 10 tumors demonstrated primarily treatment effects, while the remaining 2 of 10 demonstrated recurrent/residual tumor of the same grade. Early contrast enhancement that develops during the first 6 months after chemoradiotherapy is typically due to PsP and occurs primarily in OG and MOA that are 1p/19q intact and IDH WT.     

Molecular signatures classify astrocytic gliomas by IDH1 mutation status

To identify novel glioma‐associated pathomechanisms and molecular markers, we performed an array‐based comparative genomic hybridization analysis of 131 diffuse astrocytic gliomas, including 87 primary glioblastomas (pGBIV), 13 secondary glioblastomas (sGBIV), 19 anaplastic astrocytomas (AAIII) and 12 diffuse astrocytomas (AII). All tumors were additionally screened for IDH1 and IDH2 mutations. Expression profiling was performed for 74 tumors (42 pGBIV, 11 sGBIV, 13 AAIII, 8 AII). Unsupervised and supervised bioinformatic analyses revealed distinct genomic and expression profiles separating pGBIV from the other entities. Classifier expression signatures were strongly associated with the IDH1 gene mutation status. Within pGBIV, the rare subtype of IDH1 mutant tumors shared expression profiles with IDH1 mutant sGBIV and was associated with longer overall survival compared with IDH1 wild‐type tumors. In patients with IDH1 wild‐type pGBIV, PDGFRA gain or amplification as well as 19q gain were associated with patient outcome. Array‐CGH analysis additionally revealed homozygous deletions of the FGFR2 gene at 10q26.13 in 2 pGBIV, with reduced FGFR2 mRNA levels being frequent in pGBIV and linked to poor outcome. In conclusion, we report that diffuse astrocytic gliomas can be separated into 2 major molecular groups with distinct genomic and mRNA profiles as well as IDH1 gene mutation status. In addition, our results suggest FGFR2 as a novel glioma‐associated candidate tumor suppressor gene on the long arm of chromosome 10.     

Analysis of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in Japanese glioma patients

A recent study reported on mutations in the active site of the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 ( IDH1 ) gene in several types of gliomas. All mutations detected resulted in an amino acid exchange at position 132. We analyzed the genomic region spanning wild-type R132 of IDH1 by direct sequencing in 125 glial tumors. A total of 39 IDH1 mutations were observed. Mutations of the IDH2 gene, homologous to IDH1 , were often detected in gliomas without IDH1 mutations. In the present study, R172 mutation of the IDH2 gene was detected in one anaplastic astrocytoma. IDH1 or IDH2 mutations were frequently in oligodendrogliomas (67%), anaplastic astrocytomas (62%), anaplastic oligoastrocytomas (75%), anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (50%), secondary glioblastomas (67%), gangliogliomas (38%), and anaplastic gangliogliomas (60%). Primary glioblastomas were characterized by a low frequency of mutations (5%) at amino acid position 132 of IDH1 . Mutations of the IDH1 or IDH2 genes were significantly associated with improved outcome in patients with anaplastic astrocytomas. Our data suggest that IDH1 or IDH2 mutation plays a role in early tumor progression of several types of glioma and might arise from a common glial precursor. The infrequency of IDH1 mutation in primary glioblastomas revealed that these subtypes are genetically distinct entities from other glial tumors. ( Cancer Sci  2009; 100: 1996–1998)     

IDH1 and IDH2 mutations,immunohistochemistry and associations in a series of brain tumors

A total of 343 brain tumors were studied for IDH1 and IDH2 mutations by direct sequencing and for protein expression by immunohistochemistry with mIDH1^R132H antibody. Of these, 287 were gliomas (17 pilocytic astrocytomas, 13 grade II and 5 grade III astrocytomas, 167 primary (pGBMs) and 19 secondary (sGBMs) glioblastomas, 36 grade II and 26 grade III oligodendrogliomas and 4 grade II–III oligoastrocytomas). In gliomas, IDH1 mutations at codon R132 were identified in 22.3%, of which 93.7% were c.395G>A (p.R132H). Mutations were more frequent in oligodendrogliomas (53.2%) than in astrocytic tumors (22.8%) and in sGBMs (84.2%) upon pGBMs (1.8%). There was a statistically significant correlation between mIDH1^R132H antibody immunostaining and the relevant mutation c.395G>A (p.R132H) (P = 0.0001). No mutations were identified in non-glial tumors which were also negative to immunohistochemistry, with the exception of one PNET. A c.515G>T (p.R172M) mutation of the IDH2 gene was only identified in a grade II oligodendroglioma patient which was wild-type for IDH1. A direct correlation with MGMT promoter hypermethylation status and an inverse correlation with EGFR amplification was found, whereas the relationships with 1p/19q co-deletion and TP53 mutations only showed a trend toward correlation. In all gliomas, a positive correlation was found between IDH1 mutations and a young age (P = 0.0001). In contrast, a correlation with overall survival could only be obtained in low-grade gliomas. Immunohistochemistry appeared to be useful in differential diagnoses, especially toward non-tumor pathologic nervous tissue, and in recognizing infiltrating glioma cells. The mIDH1^R132H antibody positivity was complementary with Cyclin D1 expression.     

IDH‐mutated astrocytomas with 19q‐loss constitute a subgroup that confers better prognosis

IDH‐mutant gliomas are classified into astrocytic or oligodendroglial tumors by 1p/19q status in the WHO 2016 classification, with the latter presenting with characteristic morphology and better prognosis in general. However, the morphological and genetic features within each category are varied, and there might be distinguishable subtypes. We analyzed 170 WHO grade II‐IV gliomas resected in our institution. 1p/19q status was analyzed by microsatellite analysis, and genetic mutations were analyzed by next‐generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. For validation, the Brain Lower Grade Glioma dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas was analyzed. Of the 42 grade III IDH‐mutated gliomas, 12 were 1p‐intact/19q‐intact (anaplastic astrocytomas [AA]), 7 were 1p‐intact/19q‐loss (AA), and 23 showed 1p/19q‐codeletion (anaplastic oligodendrogliomas). Of the 88 IDH‐wild type glioblastomas (GBMs), 14 showed 1p‐intact/19q‐loss status. All of the seven 1p‐intact/19q‐loss AAs harbored TP53 mutation, but no TERT promotor mutation. All 19q‐loss AAs had regions presenting oligodendroglioma‐like morphology, and were associated with significantly longer overall survival compared to 19q‐intact AAs (P = .001). This tendency was observed in The Cancer Genome Atlas Lower Grade Glioma dataset. In contrast, there was no difference in overall survival between the 19q‐loss GBM and 19q‐intact GBM (P = .4). In a case of 19q‐loss AA, both oligodendroglial morphology and 19q‐loss disappeared after recurrence, possibly indicating correlation between 19q‐loss and oligodendroglial morphology. We showed that there was a subgroup, although small, of IDH‐mutated astrocytomas harboring 19q‐loss that present oligodendroglial morphology, and also were associated with significantly better prognosis compared to other 19q‐intact astrocytomas.     

TP53 and p53 statuses and their clinical impact in diffuse low grade gliomas

TP53 is a pivotal gene frequently mutated in diffuse gliomas and particularly in astrocytic tumors. The majority of studies dedicated to TP53 in gliomas were focused on mutational hotspots located in exons 5–8. Recent studies have suggested that TP53 is also mutated outside the classic mutational hotspots reported in gliomas. Therefore, we have sequenced all TP53 coding exons in a retrospective series of 61 low grade gliomas (LGG) using high throughput sequencing technology. In addition, TP53 mutational status was correlated with: (i) p53 expression, (ii) tumor type, (iii) chromosome arms 1p/19q status and (iv) clinical features of patients. The cohort included 32 oligodendrogliomas (O), 21 oligoastrocytomas (M) and 8 astrocytomas (A). TP53 mutation was detected in 52.4 % (32/61) of tumors (34 % of O, 71.4 % of M and 75 % of A). All mutations (38 mutations in 32 samples) were detected in exons 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. Missense and non-missense mutations, including seven novel mutations, were detected in 42.6 and 9.8 % of tumors respectively. TP53 mutations were almost mutually exclusive with 1p/19q co-deletion and were associated with: (i) astrocytic phenotype, (ii) younger age, (iii) p53 expression. Using a threshold of 10 % p53-positive tumor cells, p53 expression is an interesting surrogate marker for missense TP53 mutations (Se = 92 %; Sp = 79.4 %) but not for non-missense mutation (18.4 % of mutations). TP53 and p53 statuses were not prognostic in LGG. In conclusion, we have identified novel TP53 mutations in LGG. TP53 mutations outside exons 4–8 are rare. Although it remains imperfect, p53 expression with a threshold of 10 % is a good surrogate marker for missense TP53 mutations and appears helpful in the setting of LGG phenotype diagnosis.     

IDH mutations predict longer survival and response to temozolomide in secondary glioblastoma

Recent studies have shown that isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) mutations occur frequently in secondary glioblastoma. This study aimed to investigate their impact on temozolomide chemosensitivity and relationship with O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation in secondary glioblastoma. Searches for IDH1 and IDH2 mutations, 1p19q codeletion, MGMT promoter methylation, and p53 expression were carried out in a series of 86 secondary glioblastomas and correlated with progression-free survival and overall survival. Response to temozolomide was evaluated by progression-free survival, as well as by tumor size on successive MRI scans, then correlated with molecular alterations. IDH (IDH1 or IDH2) mutations were found in 58/79 patients (73.4%). IDH mutation, MGMT promoter methylation, and 1p19q codeletion were associated with prolonged progression-free survival in univariate (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively) and multivariate analysis (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.035, respectively). IDH mutation (P = 0.001) and MGMT promoter methylation (P = 0.011) were correlated with a higher rate of objective response to temozolomide. Further analysis of response to temozolomide showed that patients with both IDH mutation and MGMT promoter methylation had the best response rate to temozolomide. IDH mutation appears to be a significant marker of positive chemosensitivity in secondary glioblastoma. Use of IDH status combined with MGMT promoter status as a stratification factor seems appropriate in future clinical trials involving temozolomide for the treatment of patients with secondary glioblastoma.     

Clinical significance of the 2016 WHO classification in Japanese patients with gliomas

In this study, we retrospectively compared the prognostic value of the 2016 WHO classification with the former classification in 387 patients with glioma treated at our institution. According to the new classification, diagnoses included oligodendroglioma with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion (5.4%), anaplastic oligodendroglioma with IDH mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion (3.4%), diffuse astrocytoma IDH-mutated (3.9%), anaplastic astrocytoma IDH-mutated (2.8%), glioblastoma IDH-mutated (7.8%), glioblastoma IDH-wildtype (58.4%), diffuse midline glioma H3 K27M mutation (2.6%), oligodendroglioma NOS (1.3%), anaplastic oligodendroglioma NOS (0.8%), diffuse astrocytoma IDH-wildtype (2.8%), and anaplastic astrocytoma IDH-wildtype (10.9%). The prognoses of IDH-mutated astrocytomas clearly varied according to tumor grade. However, we identified no survival difference between IDH-wildtype anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas; additionally, these tumors showed similar gene expression profiles. After exclusion of those without 1p/19q co-deletion, patients with oligodendroglial tumors showed excellent survival regardless of tumor grade. Our evaluation of chromosomal aberrations suggests that the MAPK/PI3K pathway plays a role in acquired malignancy of astrocytic tumors, whereas TP53 participates in tumorigenesis. We suspect the RB pathway also plays a role in tumorigenesis of IDH-mutated gliomas. The new WHO classification more clearly reflects the tumorigenesis of gliomas and improves the prognostic power of classification.     

Promoter hypermethylation of multiple genes in astrocytic gliomas

Promoter hypermethylation represents a primary mechanism in the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes during tumorigenesis. To determine the frequency and timing of hypermethylation during carcinogenesis of astrocytic tumors, we analysed promoter methylation status of ten tumor-associated genes (MGMT, GSTP1, DAPK, p14ARF, THBS1, TIMP-3, p73, p16INK4A, RB1 and TP53) in a series of 88 astrocytic gliomas, including 24 diffuse astrocytomas; 21 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 43 glioblastomas (33 primary and 10 secondary), as well as two non-neoplastic brain samples, by methylation-specific PCR. Aberrant CpG island methylation was detected in all ten genes analysed, and all but one sample displayed anomalies in at least one gene. The methylation index (number methylated genes/total genes analysed) was 0.3, 0.38, 0.33 and 0.29 for diffuse astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas and secondary and primary glioblastomas, respectively. Some differences may be established regarding the methylation profiles of specific genes and tumor types: MGMT, THBS1, TIMP-3, and p16INK4A appear hypermethylated in low-grade tumors (at least in 45% of cases), whereas GSTP1, DAPK, and p14ARF are mostly changed in 15-50% of the higher grade forms versus <10% in low-grade tumors. Some variation also exists regarding the methylation values for p73 and RB1 (10-40% of cases) among all groups. TP53 presented hypermethylation rates <10% in all tumor subtypes. Our findings thus suggest that methylation represents a common mechanism that contributes to inactivating cancer-related genes in astrocytic neoplasms. This epigenetic change is, in general, an early event in the development of astrocytic neoplasms but this gene silencing mechanism may also appear as a late event involving some loci.