title: [AP-2 expression and significance in the lung cancer tissues].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the active protein-2 (AP-2) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the relationship between the expression and tumor biological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty NSCLC tissues and 15 normal lung tissues were used to detect the expression of AP-2 transcription factor with the immunohistochemical method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of AP-2 expression was zero in the normal lung tissues, but 32% in the NSCLC tissues. The AP-2 expression in the NSCLC tissues was significantly elevated (P < 0.05). The postive rate of AP-2 expression was significantly higher in the NSCLC tissues of pathological grade III (57.89%) than in those of grade I - II (16.13%) (P < 0.05), and higher in patients of clinical stage III - IV (44. 83%) than in those of stage I - II (14.29%) (P <0.01), and in the NSCLC patients with lymph node metastasis (40.54%) than in those without (7.7%) (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The up-regulation of AP-2 expression in the NSCLC tissues suggests that AP-2 may be involved in the NSCLC carcinogenesis. AP-2 may play an important role in the genesis and development of NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China. zhourui64@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guang-Sen
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2