Negative correlation of Nogo-A with the malignancy of oligodendroglial tumor.

Objective: Nogo-A is an axon regeneration inhibitor, and its function in central nervous system (CNS) is still unknown. The present study is to explore the relationship between the expression of Nogo-A and the malignancy of oligodendroglial tumors in patients.
Methods: Tumor tissue samples with different malignancy grade were obtained from the hospitals. The samples used for detection had been diagnosed as oligodendroglial tumors (oligodendroglioma or anaplastic oligodendroglioma). The expression of Nogo-A was detected by immunohistochemistry and western-blot analysis. The correlation test between the Nogo-A expression and the morphological changes (the percentages of atypical cells and mitotic cells in the tumors) related to the malignancy of tumor tissues was performed.
Results: There was significant negative correlation between the Nogo-A expression and the morphological change of tumor tissues according to immunohistochemistry. Western-blot analysis also indicated that the gray value of Nogo-A protein band in the oligodendroglioma group was significantly higher than that in the anaplastic oligodendroglioma group.
Conclusion: Nogo-A expression was negatively correlated with the malignancy grade of oligodendroglial tumors.