Nuclear, compared with combined nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of maspin, is linked in lung adenocarcinoma to reduced VEGF-A levels and in Stage I, improved survival.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether there is a correlation between the subcellular localization of maspin and the histological, molecular and biological features of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, particularly addressing the hypothesis that the tumour inhibitor properties of maspin may be linked to a nuclear, compared with a combined nuclear and cytoplasmic expression pattern.


RESULTS
The subcellular expression of maspin was determined in 80 resected pulmonary adenocarcinomas (Stage I, 46; Stage II, 10; Stage III, 20; Stage IV, 4) and correlated with histological grade, proliferative rate, p53 expression, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A levels, and prognosis (mean follow-up of 41.5 months). Cases with nuclear (N) maspin (n = 47), compared with the [N + cytoplasmic (C)] group (n = 28), showed lower (P <or= 0.05): histological grade, proliferative rate, p53 expression and VEGF-A levels. Cox multivariate analysis revealed in stage I adenocarcinomas (N) maspin as the only predictor of improved survival.


CONCLUSIONS
(N) maspin selects lung adenocarcinomas with distinct molecular and clinical features, supporting the hypothesis that its tumour inhibitor properties may be linked to its nuclear localization.
Frey
Amy
A
Department of Pathology, Harper University Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Soubani
Ayman O
AO
Adam
Abdulgadir K
AK
Sheng
Shijie
S
Pass
Harvey I
HI
Lonardo
Fulvio
F
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015843:Serpins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015843:Serpins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A