title: Chemokine receptor CXCR4 and early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: pattern of expression and correlation with outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The expression of CXCR4 has been implicated in metastatic dissemination in different models of breast cancer and melanoma. In the present study, we evaluated CXCR4 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the relationship between CXCR4 expression and the prognosis of stage I disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using immunohistochemical analysis, we retrospectively analyzed CXCR4 expression in specimens from 61 patients with completely resected pathologically confirmed stage I NSCLC for whom clinical follow-up data were available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study, we have shown that: CXCR4 is expressed by tumor cells in stage I NSCLC; CXCR4 is located in the nucleus and/or in the cytoplasm of tumor cells; strong nuclear staining was observed in 17 cases (29.8%); patients whose tumors had CXCR4-positive nuclear staining had a significantly longer duration of survival than patients whose tumors had no nuclear expression (P = 0.039, log-rank test). Interestingly, the 5-year metastasis rates were 23.5% and 34.1% in patients with CXCR4-positive and CXCR4-negative nuclear expression, respectively (P = 0.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strong CXCR4-positive nuclear staining was associated with a significantly better outcome in early-stage NSCLC. The mechanisms underlying this clinically and biologically important finding need to be further explored.
authors.affiliation: SOMPS, Pitié Salpetrière Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Spano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andre
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morat
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sabatier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Combadiere
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deterre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azorin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valeyre
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khayat
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Le Chevalier
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Soria
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000032:analysis*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine