[Expression and significance of CD44(+)ESA(+)CD24(-/low), stem cell markers for breast cancer, in non-small-cell lung carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
Stem cells are found in all human tissues, while tumor stem cells (TSCs) are also detected in tumors. TSC of breast cancer has been separated and its markers have been affirmed. However, TSC of lung carcinoma has not been separated yet. This study was to investigate the expression and significance of stem cell markers for breast cancer (CD44(+)ESA(+)CD24(-/low)) in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).


METHODS
Expressions of CD44,ESA and CD24 of tumor tissues in 77 cases of NSCLC patients were detected using immunohistochemistry. The correlations of the expression of the makers to tumor size, smoking, histological type, differentiation, lymphoid metastasis, and prognosis were analyzed.


RESULTS
The expressive rates of CD44,ESA and CD24 were 63.6%, 66.2% and 7.8%, respectively in 77 NSCLC tissues. CD44-positive expression was significantly higher in poorly differentiated and undifferentiated group than in well differentiated group. ESA-positive expression was significantly higher in well differentiated group than in poorly differentiated and undifferentiated group. The ESA positivity was significantly higher in glandular carcinoma than in squamous carcinoma. The expressive rate of CD44(+)ESA(+)CD24(-/low) in 77 cases of NSCLC was 36.4%. No correlations were found in the expression of CD44(+)ESA(+)CD24(-/low) to smoking, tumor size, histological type, differentiation, lymphoid metastasis and prognosis (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Expressions of stem cell markers for breast cancer (CD44(+)ESA(+)CD24(-/low)) are not associated with tumor size, histological type, differentiation, lymphoid metastasis and prognosis of NSCLC.
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, P. R. China.
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Lu
Hai-Gang
HG
Li
Hui-Zhong
HZ
Zhang
Miao-Jing
MJ
Fan
Xi-Ming
XM
Shen
Xin-Xin
XX
He
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; C497483:CD44 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C106354:flotillins