Abstract: BACKGROUND: The treatment strategies of astrocytoma have not changed considerably due to the restricted appreciation of its biology. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of the stem cell-related proteins (CD133 and Sox2) and their prognostic value in astrocytic glioma. METHODS: The immunohistochemical expression of CD133 and Sox2 in 40 patients with an astrocytic glioma of different grades was studied. The recorded data on the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and the response to the therapeutic protocol were collected and lastly analyzed. RESULTS: CD133 expression was observed in 87.5% of the cases, while positive Sox2 expression was found in all the studied cases. There was a significant association of CD133 expression with the histological grade and the tumor size (p< 0.001). A significant association of Sox2 with the histological grade and the tumor size was noted (p= 0.004, p= 0.006 respectively). Up-regulation of both CD133 and Sox2 had a significant association with poor clinical response to the therapy (p< 0.001 for each). Shorter OS and PFS were related to CD133 and Sox2 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: Astrocytoma with CD133 and Sox2 overexpression had an unfavorable prognosis and poor clinical response to the current therapeutic protocol.
