The correlation between the expression of ADAM17, EGFR and Ki-67 in malignant gliomas.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the depolymerization in metalloproteinase (ADAM17), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the expression of Ki-67 of glioma patients and the correlations with malignancy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 53 brain glioma samples resected from patients who had surgery from April 2015 to May 2016 at Chinese People's Armed Police Force General Hospital were selected. According to the degree of malignancy: 22 patients were divided into a deterioration group (stage I to II); 31 patients in highly deteriorated group (stage III to IV); 14 brain tissue samples of traumatic decompression from the hospital as control group. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of ADAM17, EGFR, and Ki-67 in three groups, and the correlation between the expression of ADAM17, EGFR, and Ki-67. Thus, the stages of malignancy were analyzed.

RESULTS: ADAM17, EGFR, and Ki-67 had no expression or weak expression in the control group, and increased in the low stage of deterioration group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The positive expression rates of ADAM17, EGFR, and KI-67 were significantly higher in the high deterioration group than that in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the analysis showed that the expression of ADAM17, EGFR, and Ki-67 were positively correlated with the stage of malignancy (R = 0.823, p = 0.000; R = 0.804, p = 0.000; R = 0.811, p = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that there was a significant positive correlation between ADAM17, EGFR, and Ki-67 with the stage of malignancy.