cN-II expression predicts survival in patients receiving gemcitabine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Resistance to gemcitabine is likely to be multifactorial and could involve a number of mechanisms involved in drug penetration, metabolism and targeting. In vitro studies of resistant human cell lines have confirmed that human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1)-deficient cells display resistance to gemcitabine. Overexpression of certain nucleotidases, such as cN-II, has also been frequently shown in gemcitabine-resistant models. In this study, we applied immunohistochemical methods to assess the protein abundance of cN-II, hENT1, human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3 (hCNT3) and deoxycitidine kinase (dCK) in malignant cells in from 43 patients with treatment-naïve locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). All patients subsequently received gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Response to chemotherapy, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were correlated with abundance of these proteins. Among the 43 samples, only 7 (16%) expressed detectable hENT1, with a low percentage of positive cells, 18 expressed hCNT3 (42%), 36 (86%) expressed cN-II and 28 (66%) expressed dCK. In univariate analysis, only cN-II expression levels were correlated with overall survival. None of the parameters were correlated with freedom from progression survival nor with response. Patients with low levels of expression of cN-II (less than 40% positively stained cells) had worse overall survival than patients with higher levels of cN-II expression (6 months and 11 months, respectively). In a multivariate analysis taking into account age, sex, weight loss, stage and immunohistochemical results, cN-II was the only predictive factor associated with overall survival. This study suggests that cN-II nucleotidase expression levels identify subgroups of NSCLC patients with different outcomes under gemcitabine-based therapy. Larger prospective studies are warranted to confirm the predictive value of cN-II in these patients.
Sève
Pascal
P
Service de Médecine Interne, Hôtel Dieu, 1 place de l'Hôpital, 69288 Lyon Cedex 02, France.
Mackey
John R
JR
Isaac
Sylvie
S
Trédan
Olivier
O
Souquet
Pierre Jean
PJ
Pérol
Maurice
M
Cass
Carol
C
Dumontet
Charles
C
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; C508048:NT5C2 protein, human; D000093542:Gemcitabine