thromboplastin and Astrocytoma

In human gliomas, tissue factor (TF) is overexpressed, associated with the grade of malignancy and influences tumour biology. Intra-tumoural fibrin/fibrinogen deposition and activation of the fibrinolytic system also play a role in tumour cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The first aim of the present study was to investigate TF expression and the presence of fibrin/fibrinogen and D-dimers in canine glioma biopsies, graded according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the central nervous system. The second aim was to investigate the occurrence of intravascular thrombosis (IVT) in canine gliomas, as a potential histological marker of glioma type or grade of malignancy. An immunohistochemical study using antibodies against TF, fibrin/fibrinogen and D-dimers was performed with 24 glioma samples, including 15 oligodendrogliomas, 6 astrocytomas and 3 mixed gliomas. Immunohistochemical data were statistically analysed to determine whether there was any relationship between glioma type and grade of malignancy. All gliomas were moderate to strongly positive for TF and the staining score was significantly higher (P = 0.04) in high-grade (III or IV) than in low-grade (II) gliomas. Intra-tumoural fibrin/fibrinogen deposition was detected in all tumour biopsies assessed, and D-dimers were detected in 17/24 gliomas. IVT was a frequent finding, but was not linked to a specific glioma type or malignancy grade. TF expression, fibrin/fibrinogen deposition, extravascular fibrinolytic system activation and IVT occur in canine gliomas. Canine glioma might be a suitable model for studying coagulation and fibrinolysis as potential therapeutic targets for human gliomas.

Topics: Animals; Astrocytoma; Biomarkers; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Fibrin; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Gene Expression; Glioma; Immunohistochemistry; Oligodendroglioma; Spain; Thromboplastin; Thrombosis

Tissue factor (TF), a cell surface receptor of factor VII/VIIa, was initially recognized as an initiator of the extrinsic coagulation pathway. TF has recently been found to be expressed highly in certain types of malignant tumors. In addition, TF belongs to the interferon receptor family and is one of the immediate early genes, suggesting that TF may participate in the regulation of cell growth. However, the correlation between the expression of TF and cell growth is still unclear.. Expression of TF in 6 glioma cell lines and 44 glioma surgical specimens was studied by Northern blot analysis, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization.. Northern blot analysis showed that glioma cells expressed minor novel transcripts of 3.3 kb and 1.6 kb, in addition to the transcripts of 2.2 kb and 3.1 kb that were previously reported. Western blot analysis revealed that the level of TF protein did not correlate with that of TF transcripts. Although immunohistochemical analysis of surgical specimens showed that all gliomas were positive for TF, it was interesting that 1 of 10 benign gliomas (10%) was positive for TF (malignancy Grade I-II), 13 of 14 anaplastic astrocytomas (86%) (malignancy grade III) and 19 of 20 glioblastomas (95%) (malignancy grade IV) were moderately or strongly positive for TF. In situ hybridization showed the expression of TF mRNA in glioma cells.. TF is expressed in glioma and the level of expression correlates with the histologic grade of malignancy.

Topics: Astrocytoma; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Western; Cell Division; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes, Immediate-Early; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Interferon; RNA, Messenger; Thromboplastin; Transcription, Genetic; Tumor Cells, Cultured

High-sensitivity thromboplastin reagents suitable for use in the prothrombin time (PT) assay are typically prepared from human brain and placenta, tissues that are in limited supply and subject to viral contamination. Cloning and expression of recombinant human tissue factor (TF) has enabled production of a new generation of thromboplastin reagents whose performance and utility are under active investigation. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of producing a sensitive human thromboplastin reagent from a non-recombinant source: cultured human cells. Several human cell lines with apparently high constitutive TF synthesis were identified, and a viable thromboplastin reagent (Humaplastin) was produced from a human lung cell line via a non-conventional process that did not require reconstitution or rehydration of TF in cell membranes. When calibrated against BCT/253, a human brain international reference thromboplastin, Humaplastin exhibited a mean normal prothrombin time of 12.6 +/- 0.7 s (mean +/- SD: n = 20) and an International Sensitivity Index of 1.09 +/- 0.019. The performance of this reagent was well correlated (r = 0.983) with Thromborel S, a commercially available human placental thromboplastin reagent. Orthogonal least squares regression of the log PT values from the placental thromboplastin reagent versus Humaplastin and two recombinant TF-based thromboplastin reagents suggested that the latter three reagents are somewhat more sensitive than the placental thromboplastin reagent, although such differences should not be expected to have a significant impact on clinical utility. It is concluded that cultured human lung cells represent a suitable source of tissue thromboplastin for production of a high-sensitivity non-recombinant thromboplastin reagent.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Anticoagulants; Astrocytoma; Blood Coagulation Factors; Brain; Brain Neoplasms; Calibration; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cells, Cultured; Choriocarcinoma; Feasibility Studies; Female; Glioblastoma; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Humans; Indicators and Reagents; Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Neoplasm Proteins; Placenta; Prothrombin Time; Recombinant Proteins; Reference Standards; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thromboplastin; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Uterine Neoplasms