[Multidrug resistance and its relationship with neuroendocrine differentiation in non-small cell lung carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To study the multidrug resistance (MDR) of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation.


METHODS
NSCLC samples from 113 untreated patients were analyzed immunohistochemically with antibodies to glutathion-s-transferase-pi (GST-pi), multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP), lung resistance associated protein (LRP), neuro-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin (SYN) and chromogranin (CgA).


RESULTS
(1) The expression of the three proteins was significantly associated with the type of lung carcinoma (P < 0.05), but not with the differentiation and lymph node metastasis. The expression of GST-pi was significantly related with MRP, MRP and LRP (P < 0.05). (2) The positive rates of the NE markers were: NSE, 53.1%; SYN, 26.6%; CgA, 6.2%; and 21.2% for at least two markers. The expression of at least 2 markers was associated with the degree of differentiation (P < 0.05), but not with the type of lung cancer and lymph node metastasis. (3) The expression of the three multidrug resistance related proteins in the positive group for at least 2 markers was significantly lower than that in the negative group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The over-expressions of GST-pi, MRP and LRP are important causes of primary multidrug resistance in NSCLC. The differentiation of NE may be one of the factors involved in multidrug resistance.
Yu
Shao-ping
SP
Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
Xiong
Yong-yan
YY
Tian
Su-fang
SF
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000378:metabolism; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism; D020394:Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099187:Major Vault Protein
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002864:Chromogranins; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D007527:Isoenzymes; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D016708:Synaptophysin; D020394:Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles; D000099187:Major Vault Protein; C496556:GSTP1 protein, human