Glioma cells express the intermediate filament proteinglial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and the level of its alternative splice variant <i>GFAP-δ</i>, relative to its canonical splice variant <i>GFAP-α</i>, is higher in grade IV compared with lower-grade and lower malignant glioma.
This study aimed to analyze the relationship between molecular pathologic expression of GFAP and Ki-67 and fluorescence levels, and to provide molecular pathological basis for the removal of malignant gliomas (MG) by Fluorescein Sodium (FLS) navigation under the YELLOW 560 nm surgical microscope filter.
We have previously shown that regulation of the brain fatty acid-binding protein (B-FABP; FABP7) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) genes in MG cells is dependent on the phosphorylation state of NFI, with hypophosphorylation of NFI correlating with GFAP and B-FABP expression.
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an intermediate filament protein normally found in astrocytes, and the radial glial marker brain fatty acid-binding protein (B-FABP; also known as FABP7) are co-expressed in malignant glioma cell lines and tumors.
The latter leads us to speculate that the loss of GFAP expression observed focally in a proportion of human malignant gliomas may reflect tumor progression toward a more rapidly growing and malignant phenotype.