miR-205 Expression levels in nonsmall cell lung cancer do not always distinguish adenocarcinomas from squamous cell carcinomas.
Accurate classification of nonsmall cell lung cancers is of paramount clinical relevance, as novel chemotherapeutic agents show different efficacy in adenocarcinomas (ADCs) compared with squamous cell carcinomas (SQCCs). Cyto and histomorphology may sometimes be insufficient for this distinction and immunohistochemistry may improve diagnostic accuracy. The measurement of miR-205 may be another tool for the distinction between ADC and SQCC. The aim of our study was to compare morphologic and immunohistochemical classification with the relative quantification of miR-205 and miR-21 insurgically resected and well-characterized lung tumors (25 ADCs, 24 SQCCs, 1 adenosquamous). The miR-21 relative levels were similar in SQCC and ADC, whereas the miR-205 relative levels were lower in ADC (P<0.0001). The miR-205 sample score value, determined according to Lebanony et al, was higher in ADC (range, 2.8 to 9.08) compared with SQCC (range, -4.17 to 2.445) (P<0.0001). Accordingly, 22 tumors were classified as ADC and 28 tumors as SQCC, although 8 cases (2 SQCCs and 6 ADCs) were in the range of "near cutoff values." Four cases classified as SQCC (according to the sample score method) corresponded to cases classified as ADC on the basis of morphoimmunohistochemical evaluation. In conclusion, the relative quantification of miR-205 and miR-21 seems to be a promising diagnostic tool. However, the molecular approach is still not completely satisfactory as it may misclassify a non-negligible percentage of cases. Therefore, it cannot be used as a substitute of accurate morphologic and immunophenotypical characterization of tumors, but could be used as an adjunctive diagnostic criterion in selected cases.
Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Italy.
Valerio
V
Del Vescovo
Chiara
C
Cantaloni
Alberto
A
Cucino
Salvatore
S
Girlando
Massimo
M
Silvestri
Emma
E
Bragantini
Silvia
S
Fasanella
Lucia Veronica
LV
Cuorvo
Paolo Dalla
PD
Palma
Giulio
G
Rossi
Mauro
M
Papotti
Giuseppe
G
Pelosi
Paolo
P
Graziano
Alberto
A
Cavazza
Michela Alessandra
MA
Denti
Mattia
M
Barbareschi
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C534425:MIR205, human; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human