Abstract: Objective To determine the levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in glioma tumor tissue and their clinical significance. Methods The levels of IGFBP-2 in glioma samples from 45 patients were detected with immunohistochemistry. Their correlation with tumor grade, p53 and Ki67 expression levels and the outcome of patients were tested. Results IGFBP-2 increased in glioma tissue in a grade-dependent manner, and significantly correlated with p53 and Ki67 expression. High IGFBP-2 level is significantly associated with earlier tumor recurrence and shorter overall survival. Conclusion Tumor IGFBP-2 levels can supply more prognostic information to the tumor grading system.

Key words: glioma, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), prognosis, tumor grade, P53, Ki-67, recurrence, survival