Neutral endopeptidase/CD10 and aminopeptidase N/CD13 gene expression as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Neutral endopeptidase modulates the growth of lung cancer, while aminopeptidase N degrades the extracellular matrix and is involved in cell motility. We studied the metastasis mechanism to detect novel metastasis-associated molecules and to evaluate them for clinical application.


METHODS
We studied the relationship between the expression of neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase N by quantitative reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction analysis in 132 patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing radical surgery from 1991 to 1996.


RESULTS
Patients with neutral endopeptidase-positive and aminopeptidase N-negative tumors were defined as group A, those with neutral endopeptidase-positive and aminopeptidase N-positive or neutral endopeptidase-negative and aminopeptidase N-negative tumors as group B, and those with neutral endopeptidase-negative and aminopeptidase N-positive tumors as group C. The 5-year survival of group A patients (92.9%) was significantly better than that of group B patients (64.7%) and much better than that of group C patients (38.2%) (P = 0.0011). Neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase N thus have statistically significant P in overall survival in Cox regression (P = 0.019).


CONCLUSIONS
Neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase N gene expressions are significant indicators of prognosis.
Tokuhara
T
T
Department of Thoracic Surgery and Department V of  Oncology, Kitano Hospital, Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.
Adachi
M
M
Hashida
H
H
Ishida
H
H
Taki
T
T
Higashiyama
M
M
Kodama
K
K
Tachibana
S
S
Sasaki
S
S
Miyake
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018826:CD13 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate
D018826:CD13 Antigens; D015260:Neprilysin