title: Expression of the recepteur d'originenantais receptor tyrosine kinase in non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recepteur d'originenantais (RON) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that belongs to the MET proto-oncogene family. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of RON receptor tyrosine kinase in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship with clinical pathology of NSCLC and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  RON protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 96 NSCLC specimens was evaluated and compared with the clinical pathology and prognosis, and 20 para-neoplastic tissues were included as controls. RON mRNA and protein expression in 25 fresh tissue samples of lung cancer and 10 normal lung tissues were also analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of positive RON expression differed significantly between NSCLC tissues (55.2%, 53/96) and para-neoplastic tissues (5%, 1/20) (P < 0.001). RON protein expression was not found to be associated with gender or age. However, RON expression positively correlated with clinical TNM stage (P = 0.004), histological types (P = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.012) and differentiation (P = 0.035). RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis also confirmed that the expression of RON mRNA and protein was significantly increased in the NSCLC tissues versus normal tissues. In addition, RON expression was associated with a poor prognosis for patients with NSCLC (P = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of RON protein and mRNA is significant in human NSCLC and low in para-neoplastic and normal tissues. Elevated RON expression may contribute to the occurrence, progression and metastasis of NSCLC, inferring that it could be useful as a new prognostic indicator for patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China.
authors.forename: Wei-li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Wei-dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Aizemaiti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rusidanmu
authors.forename: Ling-fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shu-sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C080835:RON protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases