Fig. 2

EC activation associates with patient glioma grade and worse overall survival. a Representative images from glioblastoma (GBM) or low-grade glioma (LGG) tissue samples co-stained with CD31 (blue) and VCAM1 (red). Classical “glomerular-tufts” seen in GBM showed a distinct VCAM1 positive stain (red) restricted to the “glomerular tufts” as seen with EC piling (CD31+, blue) around the lumen of a vessel. Non-glomerular vasculatures in the GBM were predominantly CD31 positive (blue). b Sections were scored as low (0–1) or high intensity (2–4) VCAM1 staining and the bar graph summarizes the number of samples from low grade gliomas (grade II or III) or high-grade glioma (IV) with low or high expression of VCAM1. (n = 24). Scale bar = 50 µm. c Mean VCAM1 expression was calculated in 137 GBM IDH-wt and 85 LGG IDH-wt tumors, p = 0.01. d Kaplan–Meier survival curve of 222 IDH-wt gliomas grouped by high or low VCAM1 expression (log-rank test, p = 0.009, upper panel). Multivariate analysis adjusted for confounding factors such as grade showed that VCAM1 is a prognostic factor associated with survival (p = 0.03, lower panel). e Kaplan–Meier survival curve of 593 gliomas grouped by high or low VCAM1 expression (log-rank test, p < 0.0001, upper panel), multivariate analysis adjusted for confounding factors such as tumor grade and IDH status showed that VCAM1 is a prognostic factor associated with survival (p = 0.007, lower panel)