Fascin expression in 90 patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

Fascin is a protein that serves to aggregate F actin into bundles that rearrange the cytoskeleton and promote cellular motility. Fascin has been linked to the invasive behavior of some tumors. Fascin immunohistochemical analysis was performed in 90 glioblastoma multiforme, including 53 males and 37 females (mean age, 58.3 years). All patients had tumors that demonstrated positive fascin staining. Nineteen tumors showed more than 75% positive staining tumor cells, 14 tumors had more than 50% to 75% staining, 23 tumors had more than 25% to 50% staining, 26 tumors had more than 5% to 25% staining, and 8 tumors had less than 5% staining. In comparison, 9 of 11 low-grade astrocytomas had 50% or less staining for fascin. Eight of 10 anaplastic astrocytomas had more than 50% fascin staining. All gliomas studied expressed fascin by immunohistochemistry. Higher grade tumors generally expressed a greater degree of fascin staining. There was no obvious correlation with the extent of staining and survival among glioblastoma multiforme. Fascin may play a role in tumor cell infiltration.