title: Overexpression of survivin levels in circulation and tissue samples of lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survivin, an apoptosis inhibitor protein, has multiple functions that favor cancer cell survival. We sought to determine survivin levels in blood samples and biopsies from patients with lung cancer compared to normal individuals and healthy lung tissues respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were obtained from 32 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 49 healthy individuals. Tissue samples were also collected, 15 NSCLC biopsies and 15 histopathologically normal lung tissues. For quantitative evaluation of survivin mRNA expression levels, the hybridization polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overexpression of survivin was detected in all malignant samples. In spindle carcinomas survivin expression levels were higher than in adenocarcinomas (p=0.009) and squamous carcinomas (p=0.026). In moderately-differentiated tumors, survivin levels were higher compared to poorly differentiated ones. (p=0.0054). Disease's stage was not associated with survivin expression in blood and biopsies from patients with NSCLC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivin is overexpressed in blood and tissue of patients with NSCLC and is associated with histological type and tumor grade.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens Medical School, Laiko Hospital, 17 Aghiou Thoma Street, 115 27 Athens, Greece. g.kapellos@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gerasimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kapellos
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polonifi
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farmakis
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spartalis
authors.forename: Periklis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tomos
authors.forename: Athanassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aessopos
authors.forename: Aris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polizos
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mantzourani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000077022:Survivin
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077022:Survivin
keywords: Survivin; apoptosis; mRNA; non-small cell lung cancer; proliferation; real-time RT-PCR