Correlation of Brain Tumor-related Epilepsy With Clinicopathological Factors in Gliomas

Abstract Objectives: Glioma patients with brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) have a complex profile due to the simultaneous presence of two pathologies: glioma and epilepsy. However, the underlying pathophysiology of BTRE remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between molecular neuropathology and glioma with BTRE.Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 186 glioma patients was evaluated at our hospital, with 64 presenting with BTRE. Chi-square test, spearman rank correlation and multivariate logistic analyses were used to identify clinicopathological factors associated with BTRE. Results: Of the 186 patients examined in this study, 64 (34.4 %) had BTRE. By analyzing the characteristics of these patients, the results showed that patient age (over 40 years; p=0.007), low WHO grade (grade I, II; p = 0.001), IDH-1 positive mutation (p=0.027), ATR-X low expression level (OR=0.44; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.92) and low Ki-67 proliferation index (OR=0.25; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.68) were associated with the occurrence of BTRE. BTRE did not differ by sex, tumor location, expression of olig-2 or CD34. The results of the matching study showed that low Ki-67 proliferation index and negative ATR-X expression level were independent factors for a higher incidence of preoperative seizures in glioma patients. Conclusion: The current study updates existing information on genetic markers in gliomas with BTRE and explores the correlation of a wide range of clinicopathological factors and glioma patients with BTRE. Our study suggests that three putative biomarkers for BTRE: positive IDH1 mutation, low Ki-67 proliferation index and negative ATR-X expression. These factors may provide insights for developing a more thorough understanding of the pathogenesis of epilepsy and effective treatment strategies aimed at seizure control.