title: [Expression of heparanase in human non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study the relationship between human heparanase expression and biological factors regarding invasion, metastasis and prognosis of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of heparanase was assessed in 122 paraffin-embedded specimens and 38 freshly-taken tissues by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot. The relationship between heparanase expression and the clinicopathological factors was analyzed by Chi square test, multivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the immunoreactive cells, staining was mainly located in cytoplasma and membrane. Human heparanase was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues (78.7%, 96/122) while negative in epithelia of normal lung tissues. The level of heparanase was remarkably higher in NSCLC than that in normal tissues ( P = 0.043 ). Expression of heparanase significantly correlated with TNM stage ( P =0.025), lymphatic metastasis ( P =0.002) and vascular invasion ( P =0.000 3). The patients with positive heparanase expression had a significantly shorter survival than those with negative heparanase expression ( P =0.000 6). In multivariate analysis, only p-TNM stage, lymphatic metastasis and vascular invasion could be considered as prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heparanase might play an important role in the development, invasion and metastasis of NSCLC. It is indicated that patients with positive heparanase expression would have a greater chance of metastasis and a poorer prognosis. However, heparanase expression is not an independent prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Shuyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pecker
authors.forename: Enhua
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xueshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu