Abstract
BACKGROUND: Homozygous deletions of CDKN2A/B have been shown to be a prognosticator for an unfavorable prognosis in gliomas, but the role of heterozygous CDKN2A/B deletions remains less well understood. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of CDKN2A/B heterozygous deletions in IDH-mutant low-grade astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. METHODS: Tissue samples diagnosed as astrocytoma, IDH-mutant and oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant, 1p/19q co-deleted CNS WHO grade 2 and 3 were collected from the archive of the Institute of Neuropathology in Heidelberg. DNA methylation analysis was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. Evaluation of the CDKN2A/B locus was performed by visual inspection of copy-number plots derived from methylation-array data for each case. Heterozygous and homozygous losses were assessed in relation to whole chromosomal or larger segmental losses and gains in the chromosomal profile. Survival probabilities were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 334 low-grade glioma cases were identified. Those cases included 173 astrocytomas and 161 oligodendrogliomas. Heterozygous deletions in CDKN2A/B (37/173 in astrocytomas, 15/161 in oligodendrogliomas) did not confer worse survival outcomes compared to CDKN2A/B wildtype cases in neither low grade astrocytoma (p= 0.2556) nor oligodendroglioma (p= 0.2760), regardless of CNS WHO grade, which was further validated on a subgroup of astrocytoma, IDH mutant CNS WHO 4 cases (p= 0.1680). CONCLUSION: In summary, our study suggests that heterozygous CDKN2A/B deletions do not confer worse survival rates with respect to OS and PFS in astrocytoma, IDH-mutant and oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant, 1p/19q co-deleted CNS WHO grade 2 and 3.