title: [Detection of occult micrometastasis using MAGE genes in lymph nodes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanoma antigen genes (MAGE genes) are tumor specific genes. In this study the expressions of MAGE-1, -2, -3 and -4 genes in lymph nodes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at mRNA level were investigated and the role of MAGE genes was analyzed in the diagnosis of occult micrometastasis in lymph nodes of patients with NSCLC.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven stations of lymph nodes from 53 patients with NSCLC were studied to detect mRNA for MAGE-1, -2, -3 and -4 genes by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression rate in samples of lymph nodes using RT-PCR (41.4%, 46/111) was significantly higher than that using routine histopathological examination (27.9%, 31/111). Of the 80 stations of lymph nodes without invasion of the tumor confirmed by routine histopathological examination, at least one of these genes was expressed in (23.8%) (19/80) out of the samples. Of the 31 stations of lymph nodes with invasion of the tumor confirmed by routine histopathological examination, at least one of these MAGE genes was expressed in 87.1% (27/31) out of the samples. In the lymph nodes of the patients with non-cancerous diseases, the MAGE-1, -2, -3 and -4 were not expressed at mRNA level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Micrometastasis in lymph nodes of patients with NSCLC could be diagnosed by investigating the expressions of MAGE genes at mRNA level. Detection of MAGE-1, (-2,) -3 and -4 might be helpful to diagnoze micrometastasis in lymph node and to increase the accuracy of TNM stages in NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guanchao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Danlei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li