Expression of nm23-H1 gene product in mediastinal lymph nodes from lung cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Although numerous studies have shown that nm23-H1 gene product expression is inversely related to metastatic potential in some cancers, the expression in lymph nodes has not been studied in detail. An analysis of nm23-H1 gene product expression in mediastinal lymph nodes from lung cancer patients is reported.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-four, randomly selected lymph nodes (63 with positive pathological lymph node status) from 39 surgically treated lung cancer patients were examined. Expression of nm23-H1 gene product was determined using specific monoclonal antibodies. Metastatic cancer cells were highlighted using anti-cytokeratin antibody.


RESULTS
Expression of nm23-H1 gene product in patients with less and more than 50% nodes-positive was 12/23 (52.2%) and 15/16 (93.8%) cases, respectively. Immunohistochemical studies with cytokeratin revealed micrometastasis in 6/39 (15.4%) patients and 9/71 (12.7%) nodes previously reported as cancer negative. Expression of nm23-H1 gene product in micrometastasis and metastasis-positive nodes was 5/9 (55.6%) and 55/63 (87.3%), respectively. We also found nm23-H1 gene product expression in germinal center cells. However, we found no relationship between expression of nm23-H1 gene product in germinal center cells and extent of metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates a positive relationship between expression of nm23-H1 gene product and extent of metastasis in mediastinal lymph nodes from lung cancer patients. Our data for normal germinal center cells suggests that nm23-H1 gene product expression does not play a specific biological role in suppressing tumor metastasis in lung cancer.
Tomita
M
M
Department of Surgery II, Miyazaki Medical College, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, 889-1692, Miyazaki, Japan. mtomita@post.miyazaki-med.ac.jp
Ayabe
T
T
Matsuzaki
Y
Y
Onitsuka
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008482:Mediastinum; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*
D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D007633:Keratins; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins