Expression of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC)/CCL22 in human lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Ligands for CXCR3 chemokines [IFN-gamma-inducible protein of 10 kD (IP-10/CXCL10), monokine induced by IFN-gamma (Mig/CXCL9), IFN-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC/CXCL11)] and those for CCR4 [macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17)] have been shown to play the central roles for T helper-cell recruitment into the tissues. To examine the role of these chemokines in tumor progression of lung cancer, we investigated their expression in human lung cancer tissues to determine the possible relationship between their expression and the prognosis of patients.


METHODS
Total RNA was prepared from lung cancer tissues of 40 patients (24 adenocarcinoma and 16 squamous cell carcinoma). We measured gene expression levels of chemokines (IP-10, Mig, I-TAC, MDC and TARC) by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.


RESULTS
Higher gene expression of MDC in lung cancer was significantly correlated with longer disease-free survival time and lower risk of recurrence after tumor resection. We could not find any significant relationship of IP-10, Mig, I-TAC and TARC gene expression with disease-free survival or lower risk of recurrence after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that increased gene expression of MDC in tumor tissues may be a predictive marker for improving the prognosis of lung cancer.
Nakanishi
Toru
T
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 466-8550, Nagoya, Japan.
Imaizumi
Kazuyoshi
K
Hasegawa
Yoshinori
Y
Kawabe
Tsutomu
T
Hashimoto
Naozumi
N
Okamoto
Masakazu
M
Shimokata
Kaoru
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C515482:CCL22 protein, human; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC