title: Expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins and their clinical significance in lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is defined as switching of polarized epithelial cells to a migratory fibroblastoid phenotype. EMT is known to be involved in the progression and metastasis of various cancers. The aim was to evaluate that whether EMT-related proteins' alterations are associated with clinicopathological features and prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of EMT-related proteins including cytokeratin, E-cadherin, TTF-1, β-catenin, vimentin, Snail, Twist, CD44 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using a tissue array method in the lung adenocarcinoma tissues of 95 patients. In addition, clinicopathological characteristics and survival were compared with the expression of EMT-related proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Loss of epithelial proteins and/or acquisition of the expression of mesenchymal proteins were observed in lung adenocarcinoma. These proteins' alteration was associated with poor cell differentiation and poor patients' outcome, respectively. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the number of EMT-related proteins' alteration. A higher number of EMT-related proteins' alteration was found to be significantly associated with unfavorable outcome. Multivariate analysis showed that a higher number of EMT-related proteins' alteration was independently associated with poor prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of EMT-related proteins' alteration is a significant prognostic marker to predict overall survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The information generated will be valuable for the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma.
  The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1007838329872974.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yongli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mingyi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Fanqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xiangshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C000614412:NKX2-1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000074482:Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014746:Vimentin; D051176:beta Catenin; D007633:Keratins