Y box protein 1 (YB-1) is a multifunctional cellular protein expressed in various cancers, and is a potential target in cancer therapy. Although there is evidence showing that YB-1 plays a role in human cancers, the clinical significance of YB-1 expression in glioma has not been established. In the present study, we investigated the YB-1 level in glioma tumors and analyzed the relationship between the YB-1 level and the grade of malignant glioma, with the aim of providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of gliomas in clinical and basic research settings. A total of 108 patients, comprising 14, 31, 30, and 33 with gliomas of Grades I, II, III, and IV, respectively, were included in this study. The mRNA and protein levels of YB-1 were found to be significantly different between Grade IV and lower-grade tumors. The YB-1 levels in cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in Grades III and IV glioma patients than in Grades I and II patients. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the levels of YB-1 in the cytoplasm and the nucleus, and results indicated that the intracellular distribution was significantly associated with the pathological grade of glioma. A higher level of YB-1 was associated with shortened survival, suggesting that YB-1 plays a role in the progression of human glioma.
