Prognostic significance of nestin expression in resected non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Nestin is a class 6 intermediate filament protein expressed in stem/progenitor cells during CNS development. Nestin expression has been detected in many kinds of tumors and was reported in a recent small-scale study in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated the relationships between nestin expression and clinicopathologic parameters and determined its prognostic significance concerning survival in patients with resected NSCLC.


METHODS
Nestin expression in tumor cells was studied immunohistochemically in 171 consecutive patients with NSCLC, and associations with clinicopathologic parameters were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of nestin expression on survival.


RESULTS
Nestin expression was observed in tumor cell samples in 27 of the 171 patients with NSCLC (15.8%). Nestin had only cytoplasmic expression. Clinicopathologically, nestin expression was significantly associated with squamous cell carcinoma (P = .001), poorer differentiation (P = .007), lymph node metastasis (P = .008), intratumoral vascular invasion (P = .003), intratumoral lymphatic invasion (P = .008), pleural invasion (P = .039), and poorer prognosis (P < .001). Multivariable analysis confirmed that nestin expression increased the hazard of death after adjusting for other clinicopathologic factors (hazard ratio, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.39-5.46).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that nestin expression is a prognostic indicator of poorer survival probability for patients with resected NSCLC and may be used as a potential marker for select patients who should receive adjuvant chemotherapy.
Ryuge
Shinichiro
S
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Sato
Yuichi
Y
Department of Molecular Diagnostics, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: yuichi@med.kitasato-u.ac.jp.
Wang
Guo Qin
GQ
Kitasato Clinical Research Center, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Matsumoto
Toshihide
T
Department of Cellular and Histo-Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Jiang
Shi Xu
SX
Department of Pathology, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Katono
Ken
K
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Inoue
Hayato
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Sagamihara National Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
Satoh
Yukitoshi
Y
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Masuda
Noriyuki
N
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D064231:Nestin; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin