Integrin expression profiling identifies integrin alpha5 and beta1 as prognostic factors in early stage non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Selection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients with a high risk of recurrence is warranted in order to select patients who will benefit from adjuvant treatment strategies. We evaluated the prognostic value of integrin expression profiles in a retrospective study on frozen primary tumors of 68 patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
A retrospective study was performed on frozen primary tumors of 68 early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients with a follow up of at least 10 years. From all tumor tissues, RNA was isolated and reverse transcribed into cDNA. qPCR was used to generate mRNA expression profiles including integrins alpha1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, and V as well as integrins beta1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.


RESULTS
The expression levels of integrins alpha5, beta1 and beta3 predicted overall survival and disease free survival in early stage NSCLC patients. There was no association between integrin expression and lymph node metastases. Comparison between the histological subtypes revealed a distinct integrin signature for squamous cell carcinoma while the profiles of adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma were largely the same.


CONCLUSIONS
Integrin expression in NSCLC is important for the development and behavior of the tumor and influences the survival of the patient. Determining the integrin expression profile might serve as a tool in predicting the prognosis of individual patients.
Dingemans
Anne-Marie C
AM
Department of Pulmonology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P, Debyeplein 25, Maastricht, The Netherlands. a.dingemans@mumc.nl
van den Boogaart
Vivian
V
Vosse
Bettine A
BA
van Suylen
Robert-Jan
RJ
Griffioen
Arjan W
AW
Thijssen
Victor L
VL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D039564:Integrin alphaV / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D039564:Integrin alphaV; D019012:Integrin beta1