title: Clinicopathologic significance of β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to investigate the association between their expression and clinicopathologic characteristics of NSCLC patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine β-catenin and MMP-2 protein expression in 39 resected NSCLC samples and 8 adjacent normal lung tissues. Statistical analysis with SPSS13.0 software was performed to investigate the association between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression and clinicopathologic features of the patients. Expression of cytosolic β-catenin in NSCLC tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P < 0.001). In addition, cytosolic protein expression of β-catenin in lung squamous cell carcinoma was significantly elevated compared to that in lung adenocarcinoma (P = 0.02). However, cell membrane protein expression of β-catenin in squamous cell carcinoma was lower than that in adenocarcinoma (P = 0.041). Cytosolic MMP-2 protein expression in NSCLC samples was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (P = 0.002). MMP-2 expression in N (1-2) NSCLC patients was significantly increased relative to N (0) patients (P = 0.019). However, statistical analysis showed no correlation between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression in NSCLC samples. Collectively, our results show that cytosolic protein expression of β-catenin in NSCLC samples is increased relative to normal lung tissues. Also, expression of β-catenin is significantly elevated in squamous cell carcinoma compared to that in lung adenocarcinoma subtypes. Additionally, MMP-2 expression in N (1-2) NSCLC tissues is higher than that in N (0) lung tissue. There is no correlation between β-catenin and MMP-2 expression in NSCLC, and our study suggests that evaluation of β-catenin and MMP-2 expression may have potential in diagnosis and progression in patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guang-Hu
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Qi-Yu
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiong-Ji
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2