Pediatric Astrocytomas and Their Association With Polymorphisms in Embryonic Stem Cell Marker Genes

Background Embryonic stem cell markers, such as SOX2, NANOG, and OCT4, are transcription factors expressed in pluripotent stem cells, involved in the mediation of pluripotency and self-renewal. Especially after the discovery of cancer stem cells, these proteins have been associated with several types of neoplasia, including astrocytomas. In the pediatric population, astrocytomas are the most common solid neoplasia and present the highest mortality rates. Methods Our study evaluated 5 polymorphisms in SOX2, NANOG, and POU5F1 genes in 101 pediatric astrocytoma samples. Results We describe the associations between wild and polymorphic alleles in astrocytomas. Conclusions In our results, the intronic polymorphic G allele in SOX2 rs77677339 [G/A] had a borderline association with low-grade astrocytomas, and the intronic polymorphic T allele in NANOG rs10845877 [C/T] showed a higher frequency in grade 2, compared to grade 1 astrocytomas, thus showing promising results. Impact Our study is relevant because it shows a potential correlation between polymorphic embryonic stem cell marker genes and pediatric astrocytomas.