Eg5 expression is closely correlated with the response of advanced non-small cell lung cancer to antimitotic agents combined with platinum chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Eg5 is a microtubule motor protein that functions in bipolar spindle assembly. We investigated the relationship between Eg5 expression and the response to chemotherapy of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Eg5 expression was investigated immunohistochemically in 122 formalin-fixed tumor samples from untreated stage IIIB or IV NSCLC patients. We also investigated cyclin B1 expression, which is involved in the G2/M transition. All patients received antimitotic agents combined with platinum chemotherapy. The response to chemotherapy was compared in relation to Eg5 and cyclin B1 expression and in relation to clinicopathological factors.


RESULTS
The response rate to chemotherapy of patients with Eg5-positive tumors was 37%, as opposed to 10% for patients with Eg5-negative tumors, and Eg5 expression was significantly associated with the response to chemotherapy (P=0.002). The response rate of patients with cyclin B1-positive tumors (53%) was higher than that of patients with cyclin B1-negative tumors (23%) (P=0.009), and Eg5 expression was significantly correlated with cyclin B1 expression (P=0.005). A multivariate analysis confirmed Eg5 status to be an independent variable related to response to chemotherapy (P=0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Eg5 expression can predict a response to antimitotic agents combined with platinum chemotherapy among patients with advanced NSCLC.
Saijo
Takamoto
T
Division of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan. tsaijo@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Ishii
Genichiro
G
Ochiai
Atsushi
A
Yoh
Kiyotaka
K
Goto
Koichi
K
Nagai
Kanji
K
Kato
Harubumi
H
Nishiwaki
Yutaka
Y
Saijo
Nagahiro
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050256:Antimitotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019926:Cyclin B / Q000378:metabolism; D056744:Cyclin B1; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D050256:Antimitotic Agents; C534699:CCNB1 protein, human; D019926:Cyclin B; D056744:Cyclin B1; C470243:KIF11 protein, human; D016190:Carboplatin; D016547:Kinesins; D002945:Cisplatin