Association between the rho-kinase gene expression and prognosis in Glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma Multiforme(GBM) is the most common and the most aggressive primary malignant tumor of the brain. GBM is responsible for approximately 2% of adult cancer deaths. Prognostic factors in Glioblastoma Multiforme can be sorted as age, tumor localization, tumor diameter, symptom period and type, the width of surgery, postoperative tumor volume, adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy status. Local tumor growth and brain invasion causes failure in treatment and death in GBM. The interactions between actin microfilaments, microtubules, intermediate filaments and environmental factors, intracellular signals which regulate them effect the cell invasion. Rho proteins and therefore Rho-kinase activation play important role at these interactions.The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the Rho-kinase pathway gene expressions and prognosis in Glioblastoma Multiforme. This is the first research at this issue.98 patients diagnosed as GBM between 2001-2010 were taken into the study. RNA was obtained using FFPE RNA isolation kit from the parafinized tissue of the patients and the mRNA expressions of 26 genes were investigated.There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the ages at the diagnosis and survival.There was a significant relationship between the overexpression of Rho-kinase genes LIMK1, CFL1, CFL2, BCL2 and low expression of MAPK1 gene and the survival of the patients. In conclusion, the expression of these genes may be related to response of multimodal therapy or these parameters could be used to determine unresponsive patients before treatment.Key words: Glioblastoma Multiforme, Rho-kinase, ROCK1, ROCK2