Cancer stem cells are thought to be responsible for
tumor recurrence and resistance in
glioblastomas. An
isocitrate dehydrogenase1 (IDH1) mutation, affecting codon132 of the
isocitrate dehydrogenase1 gene, has prognostic significance in
glioblastomas. We investigated whether stem cell marker expression [CD133, CD34, and
vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF)] and IDH1 mutation correlate with clinical factors and prognosis in
glioblastoma. CD133, CD34, and
VEGF expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 67 cases of
glioblastoma identified between 2005 and 2012. IDH1 mutation was assessed by immunohistochemistry,
peptide-nucleic-acid mediated PCR clamping, and direct gene sequencing. Diffuse CD133 expression was detected in 12 (17.9 %) cases and was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.010) and progression-free survival (P = 0.017). CD34 and
VEGF expression were not associated with prognosis in these samples. IDH1 mutation was detected in ten (14.9 %) cases. Eight were clinically secondary
tumors and two were primary
tumors (P < 0.001); the mean age of the secondary
tumor patients was significantly younger (P = 0.001, 41.20 vs. 59.14). IDH1-positive patients had longer OS than IDH1-negative patients (25.78 vs. 22.95 months), but this difference was not significant. In addition, IDH1 and CD34 expression showed a negative correlation (P = 0.024). Multivariate analysis showed that age, extent of surgery, and diffuse CD133 expression correlated with OS. CD133 may be a survival marker for
glioblastoma. Further characterization of CD133, IDH1, and vascular markers in
glioblastoma may help identify new therapeutic targets.