Complement activation in astrocytomas: deposition of C4d and patient outcome

BMC Cancer

Table 2 The association of WHO grade to C4d positive tumor area, C4d positive endothelium, and to the fraction of C4d positive endothelium

C4d EXT	Mean(%)	Std.(%)	Median(%)	p-value
Grade I	18.4	22.5	8.2	0.041*
Grade II	2.1	8.7	0.0
Grade III	0.7	0.9	0.4
Grade IV	8.2	17.3	0.8	0.016**
C4d END
Grade I	0.1	0.1	0.0	n.s.*
Grade II	0.1	0.2	0.0
Grade III	0.3	0.5	0.0
Grade IV	0.3	0.6	0.0	n.s.**
C4d/CD34
Grade I	4.8	12.3	0.0	n.s.*
Grade II	3.0	7.5	0.0
Grade III	12.1	19.1	0.0
Grade IV	20.3	71.3	0.0	n.s.**

C4d EXT = C4d positive tumor area fraction, C4d END = C4d positive endothelial area fraction, C4d / CD34 = the proportion of C4d positive endothelial area fraction of the CD34 positive endothelium. p-value; * = Mann–Whitney U-test between pilocytic (grade I) and diffusely infiltrating (grades II-IV) astrocytomas; ** = Kruskal-Wallis test between different grades of diffusely infiltrating (grade II-IV) astrocytomas.

ISSN: 1471-2407