The expression of LunX in non-small cell lung cancer and its role in the micrometastasis

PENG Guo-qing; LIU Wen-zhou; XIAN Lei

Abstract：Objective To study the expression of LunX in human non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) tissue and its correlation to the micrometastasis.Methods A total of 54 patients with NSCLC were enrolled and divided into two groups:the metastasis group ( metastasis in lymph nodes in the hilus of lung and the mediastinum) and the non-metasta-sis group.Twenty-one patients with pulmonary benign diseases were also enrolled as control group.Real-time fluores-cence quantitative polymerase chain reaction ( FQ-PCR) , Western blotting and immunohistochemistry methods were used to analyze the expression of LunX.Results According to FQ-PCR, the expression of LunX gene in the cancer tissues, adjacent tissues and lymph node of the metastasis group was significantly higher than non-metastasis group (1.65 ±0.18 vs.0.71 ±0.08, 1.14 ±0.23 vs.0.57 ±0.06, and 2.57 ±0.38 vs.1.89 ±0.53, respectively, P<0.01).According to Western blotting, the expression of LunX channel in cancer tissues and lymph node of the metastasis group were signifi-cantly higher than non-metastasis group (1.67 ±0.27 vs.0.84 ±0.27, and 3.12 ±0.31 vs, 1.97 ±0.48, respectively, P<0.01) .So was according to immunohistochemistry (4.04 ±0.41 ×106 vs.3.45 ±0.43 ×106 , and 3.95 ±0.69 ×106 vs.2.47 ±0.73 ×106, respectively, P<0.01).There was no LunX expression in non-cancer lung tissues.Conclusion LunX is expressed in the cancer tissues, adjacent tissues and lymph node in NSCLC patients, suggesting an important role in development of NSCLC.