Fatores genéticos relacionados ao ciclo celular, sinalização intracelular e angiogênese e perfil clínico/radiológico em pacientes com gliomas

Abstract

Gliomas stand out as the most aggressive malignant tumors of the central nervous system. The identification of candidate genes as biomarkers helps to clarify the pathophysiology of gliomas, supports in early diagnosis of the disease, in addition to new therapeutic interventions. Objectives – To evaluate the association of genetic variants related to cell cycle regulation (CCND1), DNA repair (XRCC1) and DNA integrity (RTEL1), intracellular signaling (EGFR), and angiogenesis (VEGF) with gliomas, as well as anatomic-morphological and functional profiles and response to the treatment. Patients and Methods – A total of 303 individuals were studied: 100 patients with gliomas (SG=Study Group), regardless of the degree of malignancy; and 203 individuals without the disease (CG=Control Group). Genotyping of the polymorphisms CCND1-rs9344, XRCC1-rs25487, RTEL1-rs6010620, EGFR-rs1468727 and VEGF-rs2010963 was analyzed by real-time PCR (TaqMan® SNP Genotyping). Anatomic/morphological and functional profiles were obtained through magnetic resonance imaging; whereas clinical data, lifestyle habits and comorbidities from medical records and questionnaire. Significance level set at 5%. Results - Smoking, alcohol consumption, systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and diabetes mellitus (DM) prevailed in patients compared to controls (P<0.05). The heterozygous genotype stood out in both groups, as well as the wild-type homozygous of XRCC1- rs25487 (T/T) and VEGF- rs2010963 (G/G), and their respective alleles G, G, T, T and G (P> 0.05). Genotypes with mutant alleles prevailed in patients with gliomas, smoking (CCND1, XRCC1, RTEL1, EGFR e VEGF) and drinking habits (RTEL1 e EGFR) and comorbidities, such as SAH (RTEL1 e EGFR) and DM (CCND1, RTEL1, EGFR e VEGF), compared to controls (P<0.05). There was no relationship between these polymorphisms and the histological classifying of the gliomas (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed alcohol consumption, SAH and DM as independent risk factors for the disease (P<0.0001, P=0.0069, P=0.0394, respectively). Patients with low-grade gliomas (II) showed survival of 80.0±1.7% in three years, compared to patients with high-grade gliomas (III-IV; P=0.2689), but without statistical difference. While the total sample showed 16.7±5.0% in three years, with no relation with the genetic variants in both analyses (P>0.05). The combination of radiation therapy (RT) and Temozolamide (TMZ + RT) was emphasized, with survival rate of 78.7±7.6% in 20 months, compared to TMZ (21.9±5.1%), although with no significant difference (P=0.8711). Conclusion - Genetic variants of CCND1, XRCC1, RTEL1, EGFR and VEGF are not associated with gliomas. However, lifestyle habits and comorbidities stand out in patients, mainly alcohol consumption and SAH and DM, which are independent risk factors for the disease. There is a relationship between the presence of mutant alleles, lifestyle and comorbidities, which can increase the risk for gliomas; however, this does not occur for the anatomic/morphological and functional profiles. Notably, low-grade gliomas show increased survival in patients, as well as the TMZ + RT treatment which should be further confirmed in wide studies.