Prognostic value of hMLH1 and hMSH2 immunohistochemical expression in non-small cell lung cancer. A tissue microarray study.
BACKGROUND
hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes are both known to play a role in DNA mismatch repair. Nonetheless, the clinical significance of hMLH1 and hMSH2 protein expression in lung cancers remains unclear.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of hMLH1 and hMSH2 proteins in tumor specimens from 179 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using a tissue microarray technique and to correlate these results with other clinicopathological variables, including the disease specific and overall survivals.


METHODS
hMLH1 and hMSH2 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies G168-728 for hMLH1 and FE11 for hMSH2 protein expression analysis. The Pearson chi2 test was used to compare the hMLH1 and hMSH2 alterations among the cases and between various clinical and laboratory variables. P < or = 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
Alteration of hMLH1 and hMSH2 protein expression was observed in 10 % of patients. No significant correlation was found between the protein expression and patient age, smoking status, tumor histology or disease stage and disease free and overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Alterations in the expression of hMLH1 and hMSH2 proteins did not have any prognostic value in stage III. NSCLC patients.
Skarda
Jozef
J
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. jojos@email.cz
Fridman
Eduard
E
Plevova
Pavlina
P
Hajduch
Marian
M
Radova
Lenka
L
Ofek
Efrat
E
Kopolovic
Jury
J
Kolek
Vitezslav
V
Kolar
Zdenek
Z
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C497172:MSH2 protein, human; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein