Expression of tissue factor mRNA and invasion of blood vessels by tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Tissue factor (TF), an initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade, is also expressed in a wide range of cancer cells and plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis, as well as in processes independent of the blood coagulation pathway. For example, by acting as an adhesion molecule enabling tissue invasion, TF may play a key role in the metastatic process and angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
To further investigate the role of TF on tumor cell invasion in NSCLC, we measured the TF mRNA expression in the tumors of 42 NSCLC patients using real-time quantitative reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction carried out in a LightCycler. We then compared the TF mRNA expression with histological evidence of invasion of blood and lymphatic vessels by tumor cells.


RESULTS
Although there was no significant relationship between the TF mRNA expression and the invasion of lymphatic vessels, the TF mRNA expression was significantly higher in tumors that invaded blood vessels (Log(10) TF mRNA/GAPDH mRNA = 2.16 +/- 0.18) than in those that did not (1.59 +/- 0.16; P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that TF plays a major role in blood vessel invasion by tumor cells in NSCLC.
Minamiya
Yoshihiro
Y
Second Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan.
Matsuzaki
Ikuo
I
Sageshima
Masato
M
Saito
Hajime
H
Taguchi
Kousei
K
Nakagawa
Taku
T
Ogawa
Jun-ichi
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D013925:Thromboplastin