Molecular pathogenesis of IDH mutations in gliomas

The isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) or 2 (IDH2) genes are mutated in 50-80% of astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas or oligoastrocytomas of grades II and III, and secondary glioblastomas; they are, however, seldom mutated in primary glioblastomas and never in other types of glioma. Gliomas with IDH1/2 mutations always harbor either TP53 mutations or total 1p/19q loss. This suggests these two types of tumor may arise from common progenitor cells that have IDH1/2 mutations, subsequently evolving into each tumor type with the acquisition of TP53 mutations or total 1p/19q loss. Survival is significantly longer for patients with IDH-mutated gliomas than for those with IDH-wild type tumors. This observation indicates that IDH status defines biologically different subgroups among gliomas. The molecular pathogenesis of IDH1/2 mutations in the development of gliomas is unclear. The mutated IDH1/2 enzyme generates D-2-hydroxyglutarate. Several theories have been proposed, including: increased angiogenesis because of accumulation of HIF-1α; a glioma CpG island methylator phenotype (G-CIMP) induced by inhibition of TET2; and increased vulnerability to oxidative stress because of depletion of antioxidants. Elucidating the pathogenesis of IDH mutations will aid better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of gliomagenesis and may lead to the development of novel molecular classification and therapy.     

Significance of IDH mutations varies with tumor histology, grade, and genetics in Japanese glioma patients

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 are found frequently in malignant gliomas and are likely involved in early gliomagenesis. To understand the prevalence of these mutations and their relationship to other genetic alterations and impact on prognosis for Japanese glioma patients, we analyzed 250 glioma cases. Mutations of IDH1 and IDH2 were found in 73 (29%) and 2 (1%) cases, respectively. All detected mutations were heterozygous, and most mutations were an Arg132His (G395A) substitution. IDH mutations were frequent in oligodendroglial tumors (37/52, 71%) and diffuse astrocytomas (17/29, 59%), and were less frequent in anaplastic astrocytomas (8/29, 28%) and glioblastomas (13/125, 10%). The pilocytic astrocytomas and gangliogliomas did not have either mutation. Notably, 28 of 30 oligodendroglial tumors harboring the 1p/19q co-deletion also had an IDH mutation, and these alterations were significantly correlated (P < 0.001). The association between TP53 and IDH mutation was significant in diffuse astrocytomas (P = 0.0018). MGMT promoter methylation was significantly associated with IDH mutation in grade 2 (P < 0.001) and grade 3 (P = 0.02) gliomas. IDH mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion were independent favorable prognostic factors for patients with grade 3 gliomas. For patients with grade 3 gliomas and without 1p/19q co-deletion, IDH mutation was strongly associated with increased progression-free survival (P < 0.0001) and overall survival (P < 0.0001), but no such marked correlation was observed with grade 2 gliomas or glioblastomas. Therefore, IDH mutation would be most useful when assessing prognosis of patients with grade 3 glioma with intact 1p/19q; anaplastic astrocytomas account for most of these grade 3 gliomas.     

Molecular characteristics of glioblastoma with 1p/19q co-deletion

Recent developments in molecular analysis have revealed genetic alterations in human gliomas. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is a critical molecular marker for classification of human glioma, and is useful for predicting outcome. Our previous LOH study identified a small subgroup of glioblastoma (GBM), with 1p/19q co-deletion, with a favorable clinical outcome. In this study, we investigated molecular pathological features of eight GBM with 1p/19q co-deletion compared with "classic" GBM and anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO). We estimated EGFR gene amplification, EGFRvIII expression, CDKN2A (p16) homozygous deletion, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) gene mutations. We also conducted an analysis of the expression of proneural genes (DLL3, OLIG2, SOX2). On histopathological review, only one GBM was diagnosed as glioblastoma with oligodendroglioma component (GBMO). Loss of chromosomes 10 and 17p is common, and neither IDH1/2 mutations nor EGFRvIII expression were detected in GBM with 1p/19q co-deletion. The expression profile revealed high expression of the OLIG2 gene in this subgroup. High expression of proneural gene OLIG2 without EGFRvIII expression may be associated with a favorable clinical outcome; however, IDH1/2 gene status and the extent of LOH regions may indicate that this small subgroup of GBM is a distinct genetic subgroup from oligodendroglial tumors.     

New insights into glioma classification based on isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 gene status

In glioma, mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) genes have been receiving attention. IDH1/2 mutations are frequently found in grade II and III gliomas. These genetic alterations occur very early in gliomagenesis and strongly predict favorable outcome in patients with high-grade gliomas. Despite the evolution of studies on this topic, the underlying mechanism of the IDH1/2 mutations remains unknown. Here, we briefly review the current knowledge of IDH1/2 and discuss molecular diagnostics based on IDH1/2 gene status.     

Methylation profiling identifies 2 groups of gliomas according to their tumorigenesis

Extensive genomic and gene expression studies have been performed in gliomas, but the epigenetic alterations that characterize different subtypes of gliomas remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the methylation patterns of 807 genes (1536 CpGs) in a series of 33 low-grade gliomas (LGGs), 36 glioblastomas (GBMs), 8 paired initial and recurrent gliomas, and 9 controls. This analysis was performed with Illumina's Golden Gate Bead methylation arrays and was correlated with clinical, histological, genomic, gene expression, and genotyping data, including IDH1 mutations. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering resulted in 2 groups of gliomas: a group corresponding to de novo GBMs and a group consisting of LGGs, recurrent anaplastic gliomas, and secondary GBMs. When compared with de novo GBMs and controls, this latter group was characterized by a very high frequency of IDH1 mutations and by a hypermethylated profile similar to the recently described glioma CpG island methylator phenotype. MGMT methylation was more frequent in this group. Among the LGG cluster, 1p19q codeleted LGG displayed a distinct methylation profile. A study of paired initial and recurrent gliomas demonstrated that methylation profiles were remarkably stable across glioma evolution, even during anaplastic transformation, suggesting that epigenetic alterations occur early during gliomagenesis. Using the Cancer Genome Atlas data set, we demonstrated that GBM samples that had an LGG-like hypermethylated profile had a high rate of IDH1 mutations and a better outcome. Finally, we identified several hypermethylated and downregulated genes that may be associated with LGG and GBM oncogenesis, LGG oncogenesis, 1p19q codeleted LGG oncogenesis, and GBM oncogenesis.     

Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Indonesian Patients with Gliomas with IDH Mutation: Insights into Its Significance in a Southeast Asian Population

Background: Gliomas remain one of the most common primary brain tumors. Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene are associated with a distinct set of clinicopathological profiles. However, the distribution and significance of these mutations have never been studied in the Indonesian population. This study aimed to elucidate the association between IDH mutations and clinicopathological as well as prognostic profiles of Indonesian patients with gliomas. Methods: In total, 106 patients with gliomas were recruited from a tertiary academic medical center in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and fresh tissue specimens were obtained and sectioned for hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical examinations. Genomic DNA was isolated and analyzed for the presence of IDH mutations using standard polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing methods. Clinicopathological data were collected from medical records. Results: Although no IDH2 mutation was identified, IDH1 mutations were found in 23 (21.7%) of the patients. Patients with IDH1 mutations tended to have a history of smoking and a shorter interval between onset of symptoms and initial surgical interventions. Frontal lobe involvement, oligodendroglial histology, lower Ki67 expression, WHO grades II and III gliomas, and methylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoters were significantly associated with the presence of IDH1 mutations. Compared with patients with IDH1-wild-type, patients with IDH1 mutation were observed to have a longer overall survival. Conclusions: IDH1 mutations are associated with certain clinicopathological and prognostic profiles in Indonesian patients with gliomas. This finding demonstrates the importance of identifying IDH mutations as part of the management of patients with glioma in Indonesia.     

IDH1/2 mutations target a key hallmark of cancer by deregulating cellular metabolism in glioma

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzymes have recently become a focal point for research aimed at understanding the biology of glioma. IDH1 and IDH2 are mutated in 50%–80% of astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, oligoastrocytomas, and secondary glioblastomas but are seldom mutated in primary glioblastomas. Gliomas with IDH1/2 mutations always harbor other molecular aberrations, such as TP53 mutation or 1p/19q loss. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations may serve as prognostic factors because patients with an IDH-mutated glioma survive significantly longer than those with an IDH–wild-type tumor. However, the molecular pathogenic role of IDH1/2 mutations in the development of gliomas is unclear. The production of 2-hydroxyglutarate and enhanced NADP+ levels in tumor cells with mutant IDH1/2 suggest mechanisms through which these mutations contribute to tumorigenesis. Elucidating the pathogenesis of IDH mutations will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of gliomagenesis and may lead to development of a new molecular classification system and novel therapies.     

Frequent ATRX, CIC, and FUBP1 mutations refine the classification of malignant gliomas

Mutations in the critical chromatin modifier ATRX and mutations in CIC and FUBP1, which are potent regulators of cell growth, have been discovered in specific subtypes of gliomas, the most common type of primary malignant brain tumors. However, the frequency of these mutations in many subtypes of gliomas, and their association with clinical features of the patients, is poorly understood. Here we analyzed these loci in 363 brain tumors. ATRX is frequently mutated in grade II-III astrocytomas (71%), oligoastrocytomas (68%), and secondary glioblastomas (57%), and ATRX mutations are associated with IDH1 mutations and with an alternative lengthening of telomeres phenotype. CIC and FUBP1 mutations occurred frequently in oligodendrogliomas (46% and 24%, respectively) but rarely in astrocytomas or oligoastrocytomas ( more than 10%). This analysis allowed us to define two highly recurrent genetic signatures in gliomas: IDH1/ATRX (I-A) and IDH1/CIC/FUBP1 (I-CF). Patients with I-CF gliomas had a significantly longer median overall survival (96 months) than patients with I-A gliomas (51 months) and patients with gliomas that did not harbor either signature (13 months). The genetic signatures distinguished clinically distinct groups of oligoastrocytoma patients, which usually present a diagnostic challenge, and were associated with differences in clinical outcome even among individual tumor types. In addition to providing new clues about the genetic alterations underlying gliomas, the results have immediate clinical implications, providing a tripartite genetic signature that can serve as a useful adjunct to conventional glioma classification that may aid in prognosis, treatment selection, and therapeutic trial design.     

弥漫性较低级别胶质瘤的整合性分子病理分型研究进展*

弥漫性较低级别胶质瘤包含WHOⅡ级和Ⅲ级的星形细胞瘤、少突胶质细胞瘤和少突星形细胞瘤,其临床表现具有高度可变性,目前的组织病理学无法准确地预测其预后。近年来,胶质瘤分子病理取得了重大进展,已经发现一系列与胶质瘤临床特征和预后密切相关的分子标志物如异柠檬酸脱氢酶（isocitrate dehydrogenase ,IDH ）突变、染色体1p/ 19q 共缺失、ATRX 基因突变、TERT启动子突变、MGMT 启动子甲基化等。在此基础上,结合这些分子标志物对弥漫性较低级别胶质瘤进行整合性分子病理分型的研究相继开展,且这些研究的结果一致表明,整合性分子病理分型能够更好地预测弥漫性较低级别胶质瘤的预后和指导治疗。本研究对弥漫性较低级别胶质瘤的整合性分子病理分型研究进展进行综述。      

Epigenetic dysregulation in glioma

Given that treatment options for patients with glioblastoma are limited, much effort has been made to clarify the underlying mechanisms of gliomagenesis. Recent genome‐wide genomic and epigenomic analyses have revealed that mutations in epigenetic modifiers occur frequently in gliomas and that dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms is closely associated with glioma formation. Given that epigenetic changes are reversible, understanding the epigenetic abnormalities that arise in gliomagenesis might be key to developing more effective treatment strategies for glioma. In this review, we focus on the recent advancements in epigenetic research with respect to gliomas, consider how epigenetic mechanisms dynamically regulate tumor cells, including the cancer stem cell population, and discuss perspectives and challenges for glioma treatment in the near future.     

63例高级别胶质瘤中IDH1和TERT突变状态的预后价值

目的:探讨异柠檬酸脱氢酶-1（IDH1）和端粒酶逆转录酶（TERT）启动子突变对高级别胶质瘤患者的预后价值。方法:选取2014年9月至2017年6月于我院行手术切除且术后病理提示为高级别胶质瘤的患者63例（WHO Ⅲ级27例，Ⅳ级36例），完善临床资料、随访资料、分子检测结果。应用Sanger测序法检测样本中IDH1和TERT启动子突变情况，根据结果将患者分为不同亚组，通过比较其生存期的差异，分析基因突变与患者预后的关系。结果:63例高级别胶质瘤中，IDH1突变型和野生型患者的中位生存期分别为24和10个月，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.01）；TERT突变型和野生型的中位生存期无明显差异（P＞0.05）。IDH1突变为高级别胶质瘤患者预后良好的因素，TERT突变不能单独提示预后，二者联合分析提示:IDH1突变／TERT突变组预后最好，IDH1野生／TERT突变组预后最差，IDH1突变／TERT野生组预后稍好于IDH1野生／TERT野生组，四组间预后有明显差异。结论:IDH1突变的高级别胶质瘤患者有较好的临床预后，在此基础上，TERT启动子突变检测有助于进一步划分其预后分层。     

Treatment outcome of patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme: a retrospective multicenter analysis

According to the recently updated World Health Organization (WHO) classification (2016), grade II–III astrocytomas are divided into IDH-wildtype and IDH-mutant groups, the latter being significantly less aggressive in terms of both progression-free and total survival. We identified a small cohort of WHO grade II–III astrocytomas that harbored the IDH1 R132H mutation, as confirmed by both immunohistochemistry and molecular sequence analysis, which nonetheless had unexpectedly rapid recurrence and subsequent progression to glioblastoma. Among these four cases, the mean time to recurrence as glioblastoma was only 16 months and the mean total survival among the three patients who have died during the follow-up was only 31 months. We hypothesized that these tumors had other, unfavorable genetic or epigenetic alterations that negated the favorable effect of the IDH mutation. We applied genome-wide profiling with a methylation array (Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450k) to screen for genetic and epigenetic alterations in these tumors. As expected, the methylation profiles of all four tumors were found to match most closely with IDH-mutant astrocytomas. Compared with a control group of four indolent, age-similar WHO grade II–III astrocytomas, the tumors showed markedly increased levels of overall copy number changes, but no consistent specific genetic alterations were seen across all of the tumors. While most IDH-mutant WHO grade II–III astrocytomas are relatively indolent, a subset may rapidly recur and progress to glioblastoma. The precise underlying cause of the increased aggressiveness in these gliomas remains unknown, although it may be associated with increased genomic instability.     

Molecular Investigation of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Gene (IDH) Mutations in Gliomas: First Report of IDH2 Mutations in Indian Patients

Recent genome wide sequencing has identified mutations in IDH1/IDH2 predominantly in grade II-III gliomasand secondary glioblastomas which are associated with favorable clinical outcome. These mutations have becomemolecular markers of significant diagnostic and prognostic relevance in the assessment of human gliomas. In thecurrent study we evaluated IDH1 (R132) and IDH2 (R172) in 32 gliomas of various grades and tumor subtypes.Sequencing analysis revealed R132H mutations in 18.7% tumors, while none of the cases showed IDH2 (R172)mutations. The frequency of IDH1 mutations was higher in females (21.4%) than males (11.1%), and it wassignificantly higher in younger patients. Histological analyses demonstrated presence of necrosis and microvascular proliferation in 69% and 75% respectively. Interestingly, IDH1 mutations were predominantly presentin non-necrotic tumors as well as in cases showing microvascular proliferation. Of the six IDH1 positive cases,three were glioblastomas (IV), and one each were anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (III), anaplastic oligodendrogliomaIII (n=1) and diffuse astrocytoma. In conclusion, IDH1 mutations are quite frequent in Indian glioma patientswhile IDH2 mutations are not observed. Since IDH mutations are associated with good prognosis, their use inroutine clinical practice will enable better risk stratification and management of glioma patients.     

No prognostic value of IDH1 mutations in a series of 100 WHO grade II astrocytomas

Mutations in the gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) have been identified in approximately 70-80 % of astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas of WHO grades II and III, and in secondary glioblastomas. In addition, a low incidence of IDH2 mutations has been detected in these tumors, and the occurence of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations is mutually exclusive. For patients with anaplastic gliomas and glioblastomas with IDH1 mutations, overall survival was significantly longer than for patients with wild-type tumours. However, the prognostic value of IDH1 in low-grade gliomas remains ambiguous. IDH1 codon 132 and IDH2 codon 172 mutation status were determined by direct sequencing for a retrospective series of 100 patients with histologically diagnosed Astrocytomas WHO Grad II (A II), and investigated for association with patient outcome. For the patient cohort analysed, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 44.6 months (95 %-CI 1.0-267.0), time to progression (median time to malignant progression (TtMP) was 74.9 months (95 %-CI 1.6-236.2), and median overall survival (OS) was 81.4 months (95 %-CI 5.5-274.8). IDH1 mutations were identified in 79 % of the patients. IDH2 mutations were not observed. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed no association between IDH1 mutation status and PFS, TtMP, and OS. Furthermore, there were no significant differences regarding PFS, TtMP, and OS between patients with and without IDH1 mutations who did not receive adjuvant treatment. The prognostic value of IDH1 mutations in low-grade astrocytomas is rather low compared with that in high-grade gliomas.     

Expression Profile Analysis of Zinc Transporters (ZIP4, ZIP9, ZIP11, ZnT9) in Gliomas and their Correlation with IDH1 Mutation Status

Background: Zinc transporters have been considered as essential regulators in many cancers; however, theirmechanisms remain unknown, especially in gliomas. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) mutation is crucial toglioma. This study aimed to investigate whether zinc transporters are correlated with glioma grade and IDH1mutation status. Materials and Methods: IDH1 mutation status and mRNA expression of four zinc transporters(ZIP4, ZIP9, ZIP11, and ZnT9) were determined by subjecting a panel of 74 glioma tissue samples to quantitativereal-time PCR and pyrosequencing. The correlations between the expression levels of these zinc transportergenes and the grade of glioma, as well as IDH1 mutation status, were investigated. Results: Among the four zinctransporter genes, high ZIP4 expression and low ZIP11 expression were significantly associated with higher grade(grades III and IV) tumors compared with lower grade (grades I and II) counterparts (p<0.0001). However,only ZIP11 exhibited weak correlation with IDH1 mutation status (p=0.045). Samples with mutations in IDH1displayed higher ZIP11 expression than those without IDH1 mutations. Conclusions: This finding indicated thatzinc transporters may interact with IDH1 mutation by direct modulation or action in some shared pathwaysor genes to promote the development of glioma. Zinc transporters may play an important role in glioma. ZIP4and ZIP11 are promising molecular diagnostic markers and novel therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, the detailedbiological function of zinc transporters and the mechanism of the potential interaction between ZIP11 and IDH1mutation in gliomagenesis should be further investigated.     

Genetic profile of astrocytic and oligodendroglial gliomas

Low-grade diffuse gliomas WHO grade II (diffuse astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, oligodendroglioma) are characterized by frequent IDH1/2 mutations (>80%) that occur at a very early stage. In addition, the majority of diffuse astrocytomas (about 60%) carry TP53 mutations, which constitute a prognostic marker for shorter survival. Oligodendrogliomas show frequent loss at 1p/19q (about 70% of cases), which is associated with longer survival. With respect to clinical outcome, molecular classification on the basis of IDH1/2 mutations, TP53 mutations, and 1p/19q loss showed a predictive power similar to histological classification. IDH1/2 mutations are frequent (>80%) in secondary glioblastomas that have progressed from low-grade or anaplastic astrocytomas. Primary (de novo) glioblastomas with IDH1/2 mutations are very rare (<5%); they show an age distribution and genetic profile similar to secondary glioblastomas and are probably misclassified. Using the presence of IDH1/2 mutations as a diagnostic criterion, secondary glioblastomas account for approximately 10% of all glioblastomas. IDH1/2 mutations are the most significant predictor of favorable outcome of glioblastoma patients. The high frequency of IDH1/2 mutations in oligodendrogliomas, astrocytomas, and secondary glioblastomas derived thereof suggests these tumors share a common progenitor cell population. The absence of this molecular marker in primary glioblastomas suggests a different cell of origin; both glioblastoma subtypes acquire a similar histological phenotype as a result of common genetic alterations, including the loss of tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 10q.     

Analysis of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in Japanese glioma patients

A recent study reported on mutations in the active site of the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 ( IDH1 ) gene in several types of gliomas. All mutations detected resulted in an amino acid exchange at position 132. We analyzed the genomic region spanning wild-type R132 of IDH1 by direct sequencing in 125 glial tumors. A total of 39 IDH1 mutations were observed. Mutations of the IDH2 gene, homologous to IDH1 , were often detected in gliomas without IDH1 mutations. In the present study, R172 mutation of the IDH2 gene was detected in one anaplastic astrocytoma. IDH1 or IDH2 mutations were frequently in oligodendrogliomas (67%), anaplastic astrocytomas (62%), anaplastic oligoastrocytomas (75%), anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (50%), secondary glioblastomas (67%), gangliogliomas (38%), and anaplastic gangliogliomas (60%). Primary glioblastomas were characterized by a low frequency of mutations (5%) at amino acid position 132 of IDH1 . Mutations of the IDH1 or IDH2 genes were significantly associated with improved outcome in patients with anaplastic astrocytomas. Our data suggest that IDH1 or IDH2 mutation plays a role in early tumor progression of several types of glioma and might arise from a common glial precursor. The infrequency of IDH1 mutation in primary glioblastomas revealed that these subtypes are genetically distinct entities from other glial tumors. ( Cancer Sci  2009; 100: 1996–1998)