Neuronatin expression and its clinicopathological significance in pulmonary non-small cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Neuronatin is a protein that is specifically expressed in the nervous system in the course of embryonal brain development, and its expression is limited to the pituitary gland in normal human adults. Neuronatin expression has been reported in some types of tumor. The purpose of this study was to clarify the significance of neuronatin expression in pulmonary non-small cell carcinoma.


METHODS
We determined the frequency of neuronatin expression in surgically resected samples from non-small cell lung carcinoma (51 adenocarcinoma and 41 squamous cell carcinoma) by immunohistochemical staining, and investigated the correlations between expression level and various clinicopathological features.


RESULTS
Expression of neuronatin was observed more frequently in squamous cell carcinoma (63%) than in adenocarcinoma (25%). In most cases, nontumorous lung tissue did not react with the antibody against neuronatin. In both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, less differentiated tumors expressed neuronatin more frequently than did differentiated tumors. In adenocarcinoma, but not squamous cell carcinoma, the prognosis of neuronatin-positive cases was significantly worse than that of neuronatin-negative cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Neuronatin expression is specific for tumor tissue and was detected in both pulmonary adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma at high frequency, particularly in less differentiated tumors. Neuronatin expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma, and may be useful as a prognostic marker for lung adenocarcinoma.
Uchihara
Teruhito
T
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Control and Prevention of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan.
Okubo
Chigusa
C
Tanaka
Ryota
R
Minami
Yuko
Y
Inadome
Yukinori
Y
Iijima
Tatsuo
T
Morishita
Yukio
Y
Fujita
Jiro
J
Noguchi
Masayuki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate