title: Cellular expression of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and its receptor (IL-2R, CD25) in lung tumours.
abstract: In view of the unclear prognostic and diagnostic role of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and its receptor in human tumours, we examined the cellular expression of IL-2 and of the subunit alpha of its receptor (IL-2Ralpha, CD25) in relation to the proliferative activity of various subtypes of lung tumours. The immunocytochemical ABC technique was applied to archival tissue material of neuroendocrine lung tumours: lung carcinoids, including typical carcinoids (TC), atypical carcinoids (AC) and small-cell lung cancers (SCLC) and squamous cell lung cancers (non-small cell lung cancers, NSCLC). Expression of IL-2 was detected in all types of lung tumours. The highest frequency of IL-2 expression (93%) was noted and the most pronounced semi-quantitatively evaluated expression of IL-2 was detected in AC tumour cells. The expression was more pronounced as compared to neoplastic SCLC (p = 0.01) and NSCLC cells (p = 0.005). The results suggest a negative correlation between IL-2 expression and the proliferative activity of tumour cells (evaluated by expression of Ki-67) in AC. The frequency of detection of IL-2 receptor (IL-Ralpha, CD25) was the highest in NSCLC (94%). Semi-quantitative expression of IL-2R, like that of IL-2, also dominated in the group of atypical lung carcinoids but manifested a significant difference only as compared to typical carcinoids (p = 0.014). Within the groups of tumours studied no correlation could be detected between cellular expressions of IL-2 and IL-2R. Our results demonstrate variable expression of IL-2 and its receptor in various types of lung tumours, but no simple relationship could be detected between tissue expression of the markers and proliferative activity. Appraisal of the diagnostic and/or prognostic significance of the results requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland. akasprza@amp.edu.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasprzak
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olejniczak
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Przybyszewska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zabel
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen