Abstract
Purpose
Gliomas are the most common malignant tumors in the central nervous system and have a poor prognosis. Circulating and plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as effective biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of gliomas, while Cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133) is closely associated with tumor aggressiveness, chemoresistance, and patient prognosis across various cancers. This study aims to evaluate the association between CD133 and malignancy, and prognosis of glioma patients.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study design was employed to compare plasma and plasma-derived CD133 + EVs and CD44 + EVs rates in 75 glioma patients and 38 healthy controls. Clinical and pathological parameters were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests or Kruskal-Wallis H tests about increased CD133 + rate. Additionally, quality of life, anxiety, and depression were assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) to observe differences between CD133 high group and CD133 low group. The disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the resulting curves were compared using log-rank tests. The impact of various clinical pathological features on survival was further assessed using a stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression model.
Results
Quantities of plasma CD44 and CD133 + EVs contents were 1.25 and 1.21 times those of healthy controls, respectively, yet only the quantity of CD133 + EVs was capable of differentiating glioma grades (P = 0.001). Stratifying glioma patients based on CD133 + EVs content revealed that the low rate group exhibited a significant survival advantage, with a mortality risk that was only 33.54% of the high rate group, which was statistically significant (P = 0.0124).
Conclusion
CD133 + EVs rate is a significant prognostic indicator in glioma patients, where lower rate is associated with better survival rates. These findings support the potential value of CD133 as a biomarker in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of gliomas.