title: Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha and its prognostic significance in small-sized adenocarcinomas of the lung.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the prognostic value of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) alpha expression and its correlation with clinicopathologic variables and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and -C in patients with lung adenocarcinomas of small size.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha was immunohistochemically determined in 78 cases of small-sized adenocarcinoma (maximum dimension < or = 2 cm) using antibody against a recombinant protein corresponding to amino acids 575-780 of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha. Data regarding patient survival, clinicopathologic factors, and immunohistochemical studies of vascular endothelial growth factors were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strong expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha was observed in 23 of 78 cases; absent or minimal expression was found in the localized bronchioloalveolar carcinomas. Strong expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha was significantly higher in cases with vascular invasion, lymph node involvement, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression. The 5-year survival rate was 63.2% if expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha was strong and 85.1% if expression was weak (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunohistochemical staining of HIF-1 alpha, along with examination of metastatic potential via vascular pathways, may be valid defining a subpopulation of patients with small-sized adenocarcinoma of the lung whose tumors have aggressive angiogenesis potential.
authors: Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1, Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. md040004@cis.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
authors: Sotarou
authors: S
authors: Enatsu
authors: Akinori
authors: A
authors: Iwasaki
authors: Takayuki
authors: T
authors: Shirakusa
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Hamasaki
authors: Kazuki
authors: K
authors: Nabeshima
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Iwasaki
authors: Motomu
authors: M
authors: Kuroki
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Kuroki