Abstract
The presence of contrast enhancement (CE) on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is conventionally regarded as an indicator for tumor malignancy. However, the biological behaviors and molecular mechanism of enhanced tumor are not well illustrated. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular profiles associated with anaplastic gliomas (AGs) presenting CE on postcontrast T1‐weighted MR imaging. In this retrospective database study, RNA sequencing and MR imaging data of 91 AGs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 64 from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) were collected. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), significant analysis of microarray, generalized linear models, and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm were used to explore radiogenomic and prognostic signatures of AG patients. GSEA indicated that angiogenesis and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition were significantly associated with post‐CE. Genes driving immune system response, cell proliferation, and focal adhesions were also significantly enriched. Gene ontology of 237 differential genes indicated consistent results. A 48‐gene signature for CE was identified in TCGA and validated in CGGA dataset (area under the curve = 0.9787). Furthermore, seven genes derived from the CE‐specific signature could stratify AG patients into two subgroups based on overall survival time according to corresponding risk score. Comprehensive analysis of post‐CE and genomic characteristics leads to a better understanding of radiology‐pathology correlations. Our gene signature helps interpret the occurrence of radiological traits and predict clinical outcomes. Additionally, we found nine prognostic quantitative radiomic features of CE and investigated the underlying biological processes of them.
Highlights
Gliomas are both the most common and lethal tumors of the central nervous system
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, an indispensable approach to tumor diagnosis and treatment monitoring, identifies tumor-specific behaviors and malignancy;[1,2] contrast enhancement (CE) seen on MR imaging is indicative of blood-brain barrier disruption and tumor cells infiltration
We investigated the specific genetic alterations associated with anaplastic gliomas (AGs, WHO grade III) presenting with CE on postcontrast T1- weighted MR images
Summary
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 81601452; National Key Research and Development Plan, Grant/Award Number: 2016YFC0902500; National High Technology Research and Development Program, Grant/Award Number: 2015CB755500; Beijing Postdoctoral Research Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 2016ZZ-37, 2017-zz-121; Beijing Natural Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 7174295; Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Grant/ Award Number: 2017M620833
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