Enolase-alpha is frequently down-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer and predicts aggressive biological behavior.
OBJECTIVE
Enolase-alpha is a cytoplasmic glycolytic enzyme important in the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate. Enolase-alpha and c-myc binding protein (MBP-1) originate from a single gene through alternative use of translational starting sites. Both enolase-alpha and MBP-1 can bind to the P2 element in the c-myc promoter and compete with TATA-box binding protein (TBP) to suppress transcription of c-myc.


METHODS
To determine a potential role of enolase-alpha in vivo, we analyzed enolase-alpha expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues from 46 patients by Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis.


RESULTS
Twelve (26%) of the 46 tumors showed a significantly reduced enolase-alpha expression. Although no statistically significant association was observed between the down-regulation of enolase-alpha and pathological stage, tumor histology, or differentiation, the patients whose tumors showed reduced enolase-alpha expression had a significantly poorer overall survival compared with those without down-regulation of this molecule (P = 0.0398).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate down-regulation of enolase-alpha is common in NSCLC and may play an important role in lung tumorigenesis.
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C095157:ENO1 protein, human; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase