title: Ets-1 proto-oncogene as a potential predictor for poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The proto-oncogene Ets-1 is a transcription factor that is known to regulate certain matrix metalloproteinases and plasminogen activator, which have been associated with malignant behaviors in solid carcinomas. We hypothesized that Ets-1 expression is also associated with tumor progression and a worse prognosis in lung carcinoma patients. To clarify the role of the Ets-1 proto-oncogene, the expression of Ets-1 in non-small cell lung carcinomas using 156 paraffin-embedded specimens was determined in surgically resected tissue samples. Immunohistochemical staining showed Ets-1 expression in 82 cases of 156 carcinomas (53%): 36 of 52 (69%) squamous cell carcinomas, 41 of 96 (43%) adenocarcinomas, and 5 of 8 (63%) other carcinomas. In adenocarcinomas, a higher proportion of acinar type expressed Ets-1 compared to papillary or alveolar type (p < 0.05). The proportion of adenocarcinoma that expressed Ets-1 increased with poorer histologic differentiation of the adenocarcinoma (p < 0.05). Ets-1 positive adenocarcinomas had a larger mean size than Ets-1 negative adenocarcinomas (p < 0.01). In adenocarcinoma patients, expression of Ets-1 was associated with disease-free (p = 0.09) and overall survivals (p < 0.05) after lung resection. Such relationship was not observed among squamous cell carcinoma patients. Our findings indicate that Ets-1 expression is related to histopathological differentiation, morphogenesis, and tumor progression of lung adenocarcinomas. Ets-1 appears to be a useful predictor of poor prognosis after surgical resection in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Ets-1 expression could be used to evaluate the malignant behaviors of lung adenocarcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki852-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanashima
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasutake
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagayasu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors