title: [Clinicopathological correlation of detection of regional lymph nodes micrometastasis in patients with lung cancer by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To analyze clinicopathological correlation of detection of lung cancer micrometastasis in regional lymph nodes (LNs) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional LNs (n=261) were obtained from 40 patients with lung cancer who underwent lobectomy. Each LN was bisected. Half of each LN was subjected to histological examination (HE) and the other half was subjected to RT-PCR amplification of CK19 mRNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 18 of 40 patients, the metastasis in regional LNs was found by both HE and RT-PCR. Of 22 N0 diseases diagnosed by HE, 6 (27%) were found to express CK19 mRNA in regional LNs. According to the results of regional LNs metastasis in 40 patients by CK19 RT-PCR, the presence of the CK19 product in LNs was related to tumor size (Chi-square=5.76, P < 0.025), the presence of tumor vascular invasion (Chi-square=3.88, P < 0.05), cell differentiation of the tumor (Chi-square=7.08, P < 0.01) and P-TNM stages (Chi-square=7.42, P < 0.01). In the histologically node-negative patients, lymph node micrometastasis was significantly related to tumor size (P=0.038, exact test) and P-TNM stage (P=0.01, exact test). However, the results of routine histological examination did not show the above clinicopathological correlation (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RT-PCR method is superior to routine histological examination in detecting metastasis in LNs. The micrometastasis in LNs can be detected accurately by RT-PCR. It is helpful for screening the patients in whom the early subclinical metastasis exists and disclosing the intrinsic rule of malignancy metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First University Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400016, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Mingjian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liangbin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang