title: Expression of placental growth factor gene in lung cancer.
abstract: Differences in the gene expression profiles in small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) may explain their different clinical characteristics. The aims of this study were (1) to identify genes differentially expressed in SCLC and NSCLC using mRNA differential display, and (2) to determine the clinical relevance of such genes in lung cancer. RNA differential display using three SCLC and six non-SCLC cell lines was used to identify a differentially expressed gene. Differential expression of the gene was confirmed in additional lung cancer cell lines using RT-PCR. Immunohistochemical staining for the gene product was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue from lung cancer patients. We examined the relationship between the expression of the gene and clinical parameters, including disease stage, response to treatment and survival time. The placental growth factor (PGF) gene was identified as preferentially expressed in SCLC compared with NSCLC cell lines using mRNA differential display. Further analysis of 45 lung cancer cell lines using RT-PCR showed that the placental growth factor (PGF) gene was expressed in nine of 13 SCLC cell lines (69%) and five of 32 NSCLC cell lines (15.6%) (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Immunohistochemistry using anti-PGF antibody on the paraffin blocks from lung cancer patients showed that PGF expression was significantly higher in SCLC than NSCLC tissue sections (32 vs. 5.6%, p = 0.041, Fisher's exact test). Expression of PGF protein did not correlate with disease stage, response to treatment or survival time in SCLC patients. The present study suggests there is higher expression of PGF in SCLC compared to NSCLC. It may be that higher expression of the angiogenic factor PGF contributes to differences between the progression of SCLC and NSCLC, especially in regard to the nature of SCLC metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea. innsookwoo@catholic.ac.kr
authors.forename: In Sook
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Myung Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Young Seon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kyung Shik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung Ae
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Iee
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hye-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor