Fig. 8

Tissue expression of CD44 is affected by GPNMB in the RCAS-PDGFb model and associated with GPNMB expression in human GBM. A Representative staining of CD44 (left) and merge with DAPI (right; CD44 = red, DAPI = blue) of brain slices from tumor-bearing WT and KO. Scale bar represents 50 µm. The graph on the right shows the summary data of the area of CD44 staining (in % of total area) from WT (n = 7) and KO (n = 6) mice. B Left: Gene expression of CD44 (Cutoff: median) in GPNMB^high (n = 111) and GPNMB^low (n = 111) primary GBM. Data from CGGA. Right: Gene expression of CD44 (Cutoff: median) in GPNMB^high (n = 262) and GPNMB^low (n = 263) primary GBM. Data from TCGA. C Left: Gene expression of CD44 in GPNMB^high (top 25%; n = 55) and GPNMB^low (low 25%; n = 54) primary GBM. Data from CGGA. Right: Gene expression of CD44 in GPNMB^high (top 25%; n = 130) and GPNMB^low (low 25%; n = 131) primary GBM. Data from TCGA. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired t-test. Error bars represent SD. D Kaplan–Meier survival curves of GBM patients based on GPNMB expression in the CGGA (left) and TCGA (right) data set. Cutoff set by median of CD44 and GPNMB expression into GPNMB^highCD44^high (CGGA: n = 87, events = 77; TCGA: n = 169, events = 149) and GPNMB^lowCD44^low (CGGA: n = 86, events = 66; TCGA: n = 170, events = 137). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001