Clinicopathological implications of EpCAM expression in adenocarcinoma of the lung.
BACKGROUND
The frequency of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression was investigated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and human tissues, and its clinicopathological significance in adenocarcinoma of the lung was evaluated.


METHODS
EpCAM expression was analysed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry in human NSCLC cells. EpCAM protein expression was evaluated in 234 adenocarcinoma tissues using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
A high expression level of EpCAM was observed in human NSCLC cells by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. EpCAM overexpression was detected in 120/234 (51.3%) surgically resected adenocarcinoma tissues. EpCAM overexpression occurred significantly more frequently in adenocarcinoma than in bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (p=0.02). The overall survival did not differ significantly between EpCAM-overexpressing and EpCAM-negative patients (p=0.40).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest EpCAM plays a role in the carcinogenesis of adenocarcinoma of the lung and might provide a promising molecule for targeted therapy in NSCLC.
Kim
Youngwook
Y
Medical Nanoelement Development Center, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Hyo Song
HS
Cui
Zheng Yun
ZY
Lee
Hye-Sook
HS
Ahn
Jin Seok
JS
Park
Chan Keum
CK
Park
Keunchil
K
Ahn
Myung-Ju
MJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D017931:DNA Primers; C499379:EPCAM protein, human; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule