Effect of Cadherin-11 Expression on the Prognosis of a Newly Diagnosed Primary Glioblastoma

BACKGROUND: Cadherin-11, a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule, is associated with higher tumor grade and decreased patient survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of cadherin-11 expression in the progression and prognosis of a newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma (GBL). METHODS: Between 2007 and 2016, 52 out of 178 patients diagnosed with a GBL and satisfied the following criteria: 1) a new primary GBL, 2) gross-total resection, 3) immunohistochemically-available tissue, and 4) standardized adjuvant treatment. RESULTS: In terms of staining intensity, the low-intensity cadherin-11 group showed longer progression-free survival (PFS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median PFS, 12.0 months [95% CI, 11.1–12.9] vs. median PFS, 6.0 months [95% CI, 3.7–8.3]; p<0.001). The low-intensity cadherin-11 group revealed longer overall survival (OS) than the high-intensity cadherin-11 group (median OS, 20.0 months [95% CI, 11.8–16.6] vs. median OS, 15.0 months [95% CI, 11.8–18.2]; p=0.003). The staining intensity of cadherin-11 was a statistically significant factor in PFS and OS in terms of univariate and multivariate analyses (univariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005; multivariate analysis: p<0.001 and p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our clinical study demonstrates high cadherin-11 expression may be associated with poor PFS and OS for a newly diagnosed primary GBL.