CIC Demographic and Mutation Rates in Glioma Subtypes
A total of 7,341 glioma tumor samples were classified based on histology subtypes and characterized for CIC mutation status (Table 1). In total, 296 (4.0%) of gliomas were CIC-mutated, including glioblastoma (0.6%), astrocytoma (1.7%), oligodendroglioma (52.1%), and mixed/unclear typing (10.3%). Of the 19 CIC-mutated astrocytoma samples, 10 were grade 3 and 9 were grade 2. None of the pilocytic/grade 1 astrocytomas were CIC-mutated. Of the 202 CIC mutated oligodendroglioma samples, 93 were grade 3 and 109 were grade 2 (Table 2). In all gliomas analyzed together, CIC mutations were associated with younger age (46 yrs. vs. 58 yrs.), and female gender (50% vs. 41%). These differences were significant, however, only in GBM tumors (median age 49 yrs. vs. 60 yrs., p < 0.00019; female prevalence 58% vs. 40%, p < 0.037; Table 1). Additionally, the association with age was reversed in the oligodendroglioma subset, with CIC mutated tumors being found in significantly older patients (median age 45.5 yrs. vs. 42 yrs., p < 0.014)
Table 1 – Demographic patient data by Capicua (CIC) mutation status and glioma subtype
|
|
CIC Mut
|
CIC WT
|
p-value
|
All Gliomas
|
Count (N)
|
296
|
7169
|
|
Median Age [range] (N)
|
46 [20 - 78] (296)
|
58 [0 - >89] (7169)
|
5.84E-22
|
Male
|
49.7% (147/296)
|
59.4% (4257/7169)
|
0.000863927
|
Female
|
50.3% (149/296)
|
40.6% (2912/7169)
|
|
Oligodendroglioma
|
Count (N)
|
202
|
186
|
|
Median Age [range] (N)
|
45.5 [21 - 77] (202)
|
42 [5 - 78] (186)
|
0.014423866
|
Median TMB [range] (N)
|
4.0 [1.0 - 272.0] (197)
|
3.0 [0.0 - 95.0] (181)
|
0.000753571
|
Male
|
50.0% (101/202)
|
58.1% (108/186)
|
0.111398203
|
Female
|
50.0% (101/202)
|
41.9% (78/186)
|
|
Astrocytoma
|
Count (N)
|
19
|
1094
|
|
Median Age [range] (N)
|
41 [24 - 75] (19)
|
41 [0 - >89] (1094)
|
0.516739491
|
Female
|
42.1% (8/19)
|
41.7% (456/1094)
|
0.970399172
|
Male
|
57.9% (11/19)
|
58.3% (638/1094)
|
|
GBM
|
Count (N)
|
33
|
5310
|
|
Median Age [range] (N)
|
49 [20 - 78] (33)
|
60 [2 - >89] (5310)
|
0.000197057
|
Male
|
42.4% (14/33)
|
60.2% (3197/5310)
|
0.03755952
|
Female
|
57.6% (19/33)
|
39.8% (2113/5310)
|
|
Table 2 – CIC mutation rates within each glioma subtype
Tumor Type
|
Mut
|
WT
|
Total
|
Mut %
|
Astrocytoma
|
19
|
1094
|
1113
|
1.7%
|
Anaplastic/Grade 3/High Grade
|
10
|
551
|
561
|
1.8%
|
Diffuse/Grade2/Low Grade
|
9
|
447
|
456
|
2.0%
|
Pilocytic/Grade 1
|
0
|
96
|
96
|
0.0%
|
Ependymoma
|
0
|
13
|
13
|
0.0%
|
Ganglioglioma
|
0
|
37
|
37
|
0.0%
|
GBM
|
33
|
5310
|
5343
|
0.6%
|
Gliosarcoma
|
0
|
124
|
124
|
0.0%
|
Glioneuronal
|
0
|
11
|
11
|
0.0%
|
Oligodendroglioma
|
202
|
186
|
388
|
52.1%
|
Anaplastic/Grade 3/High Grade
|
93
|
93
|
186
|
50.0%
|
Diffuse/Grade2/Low Grade
|
109
|
93
|
202
|
54.0%
|
Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma
|
0
|
29
|
29
|
0.0%
|
Unclear
|
42
|
365
|
407
|
10.3%
|
Total
|
296
|
7169
|
7341
|
4.0%
|
CIC Mutations are Associated with Increased Alteration Rates of Glioma-Relevant Genes but not MAPK-associated genes
Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing (WTS), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed on FFPE tissue samples to identify any molecular alterations associated with CIC mutation status. Shown in Figure 1A, CIC-mutated tumor samples encompassing all gliomas exhibited significant increases in mutation rates of FUBP1, NOTCH1, ARID1A, IDH2, MLH1, TET2, KMT2C, and CDKN1B. In addition, increased rates of 1p19q codeletion, TERT promoter mutations, MGMT promoter methylation, and dMMR/MSI were observed in CIC-mutated samples.
Conversely, MAPK pathway activating alterations were increased in wild-type CIC tumors compared to CIC-mutated tumors. Significant increases of EGFR alterations (including activating mutations, fusions, and the EGFRvIII variant), NF1 and BRAF mutations were observed in CIC wild-type samples (Figure 1B). The only significant increase in gene mutation associated with CIC mutation compared to CIC wild-type was MAP2K4 (Figure 1B). Further genetic alterations associated with CIC mutation status is shown in the OncoPrint in Figure 1C. Significant genetic alterations, shown in green, were observed in CIC wild-type samples while few alterations were observed in CIC mutant samples, confirming the largely mutually exclusive pattern of CIC mutation with other MAPK pathway changes.
Our data across GBM (Figure 1D), astrocytoma (Figure 1E), and oligodendroglioma (Figure 1F) show MAPK-associated gene alterations between CIC mutated glioma and CIC wild-type tumors. Specifically, CIC wild-type tissue exhibits higher mutation rates of MAPK-associated genes across all glioma subtypes including more valent EGFR mutation, amplification, EGFRvIII variant and EGFR fusion; KRAS, MAP2K1, BRAF, and NF1 mutations are enriched in CIC wild-type GBM only. When the relative relationship of these MAPK pathway associated alteration and CIC mutations are examined on OncoPrints (Figure 2A-C), GBM MAPK-associated gene alterations (Figure 2A) were quite prominent in CIC wild-type tumor samples in nearly all genes displayed while CIC mutated tumors had few alterations in NF1, KRAS, and EGFR. Similarly, astrocytoma (Figure 2B) and oligodendroglioma (Figure 2C) exhibited a much higher rate of genetic alterations in CIC wild-type tumors where CIC mutant tumors only displayed very few alterations in EGFR, NF1, and KRAS.
Quantitatively capturing the MAPK pathway association with CIC mutation status via the MAPK Pathway Activity Score (MPAS) scoring method may assist in prognostic evaluations and biomarker associations in various cancer types [21]. Current literature has not yet described MPAS scoring in glioma in association with CIC mutation status. As shown in figure 2D-G, significant differences in MAPK activation in CIC-mutant tumors as compared to wild-type, only appear in oligodendroglioma, but is not seen in GBM, astrocytoma or when all three histological subtypes are combined.
GBM, Astrocytoma, and Oligodendroglioma Oncogenic Profiles are Enhanced in CIC Mutated Samples Versus CIC Wild-Type Samples
The most prominent glioma subtypes, GBM, astrocytoma, and oligodendroglioma, were individually analyzed to characterize molecular differences between CIC-mutants and their CIC wild-type counter parts. Shown in figure 3, a majority of genetic alterations were observed in CIC mutant tumors in GBM (Figure 3A), astrocytoma (Figure 3B), and oligodendroglioma (Figure 3C). Two similarities amongst the three subtypes were characterized: high prevalence of MGMT promoter methylation, FUBP1 mutation, and IDH1 mutation associated with CIC mutants. Numerous differences, however, were apparent, including increased TMB-high and dMMR/MSI-H prevalence in GBM, and a high rate of TERT promoter mutation and 1p19q codeletion in oligodendroglioma. An increased TP53 mutation rate was observed in CIC wild-type oligodendrogliomas. These results confirm previous reports of significant genetic differences between glioma subtypes and reveal tumor type-specific molecular associations with CIC [22].
CIC Mutation is Positively Correlated with Patient Survival in Oligodendroglioma and TMZ-Treated Glioma
Patients harboring both CIC mutation and CIC wild-type oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, and GBM were monitored for over one year following diagnosis to last contact. In oligodendroglioma (Figure 4A), patients with CIC mutations (90) survived a median 3751 days, while CIC wild-type patients had a median survival of 1911 days. The hazard ratio (HR) between the two groups was 1.758 and a statistically significant difference of median survival of 1840 days yielding p < 0.025. Similarly, shown in figure 4B, patients with either astrocytoma or GBM and CIC wild-type status were grouped into cohort 1and patients with either astrocytoma or GBM and CIC mutations were grouped into cohort 2. Cohort 1 was followed to a median 536-day survival and cohort 2 did not show a quantifiable end survival date. Because of this, the median difference between the two cohorts was characterized as ‘infinite’ and a p < 0.0001. Additional survival data post-TMZ treatment in CIC mutant and wild-type patients is found in supplementary results.