title: Prognostic significance of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) in resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
abstract: The expression of the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) was quantified in paraffin sections of tumors and lymph node metastasis, by means of digital image analysis, in 75 patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients were divided in two groups: early stage (stages I and II) and advanced stage (stages IIIa, IIIb and IV). The prognostic significance of AgNOR expression was tested by Cox regression analysis in models controlled for age, sex, vital status, stage and histological type. Tumors at early stages had a lower expression of AgNOR than those at more advanced diseases. The mean values obtained for NORs in advanced disease were almost the same as those in the primary tumors when compared with the corresponding lymph node metastasis (r = 0.90; p < 0.01; linear regression). The prognostic role of AgNOR was significant only for tumors at stages I and II and not for advanced neoplasms (stages IIIa, IIIb and IV). These results encourage the inclusion of AgNOR quantitation in routine material, especially in early lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Antonangelo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minamoto
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Schmidt Júnior
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Capelozzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Saldiva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016622:Silver Staining; D016019:Survival Analysis