Expression of the placental form of glutathione S-transferase in pediatric gliomas.

Expression of the human placental form of glutathione S-transferase (GST-pi) in pediatric gliomas, consisting of three pilocytic astrocytomas (grade 1), two fibrillary astrocytomas (grade 2), three anaplastic astrocytomas (grade 3), and one glioblastoma multiforme (grade 4), were investigated by immunohistochemical methods. Western blot analysis for GST-pi using proteins extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded glioma specimens was performed and compared with the results of immunohistochemistry. Both the immunohistochemical examination and the Western blot analysis of pediatric gliomas revealed that malignant gliomas such as anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma had strong expression of GST-pi while benign gliomas showed weak GST-pi expression.