Endocan expression and relationship with survival in human non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the expression of endocan, a soluble lung- and kidney-selective endothelial cell-specific dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, in non-small cell lung tumors compared with normal lung and studied the significance of high levels of circulating endocan in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
Endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression were evaluated by semiquantitative PCR in tumoral and nontumoral lung tissue samples from a first series of 24 patients submitted to curative surgery. Relationships between survival, time to tumor progression, and serum levels of endocan were evaluated in a second series of 30 previously untreated patients addressed for staging.


RESULTS
In non-small cell lung cancers, endocan mRNA was overexpressed compared with control lung. Immunohistochemistry shows that endocan was expressed only by tumor endothelium in all cases, especially in the periphery of the tumors, with no differences between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression was positively correlated in lung tumors. Serum endocan levels, as well as tumor, node, and metastasis status, were correlated with both survival and time to tumor progression. However, endocan serum level was not an independent prognostic factor due to its correlation with the presence of metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Endocan is overexpressed in non-small cell lung tumors compared with healthy lung and probably represents a response of tumoral endothelium to proangiogenic growth factor stimulation. Circulating levels of endocan might reflect tumor angiogenic stimulation and present prognostic significance.
Grigoriu
Bogdan Dragos
BD
Institut National de la Santé et de la Reserche Médicale U774, Lille, France. b_grigoriu@hotmail.com
Depontieu
Florence
F
Scherpereel
Arnaud
A
Gourcerol
Delphine
D
Devos
Patrick
P
Ouatas
Taoufik
T
Lafitte
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Copin
Marie-Christine
MC
Tonnel
Andre-Bernard
AB
Lassalle
Philippe
P
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics
C101134:ESM1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A