Clinical value of circulating endothelial cells and of soluble CD146 levels in patients undergoing surgery for non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies indicate that endothelial injury, as demonstrated by the presence of circulating endothelial cells (CECs), may predict clinical outcome in cancer patients. In addition, soluble CD146 (sCD146) may reflect activation of angiogenesis. However, no study has investigated their combined clinical value in patients undergoing resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Data were collected from preoperative blood samples from 74 patients who underwent resection for NSCLC. Circulating endothelial cells were defined, using the CellSearch Assay, as CD146+CD105+CD45-DAPI+. In parallel, sCD146 was quantified using an ELISA immunoassay. These experiments were also performed on a group of 20 patients with small-cell lung cancer, 60 healthy individuals and 23 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


RESULTS
The CEC count and the plasma level of sCD146 were significantly higher in NSCLC patients than in the sub-groups of controls (P<0.001). Moreover, an increased CEC count was associated with higher levels of sCD146 (P=0.010). Both high CEC count and high sCD146 plasma level at baseline significantly correlated with shorter progression-free survival (P<0.001, respectively) and overall survival (P=0.005; P=0.009) of NSCLC patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study provides supportive evidence to show that both a high CEC count and a high sCD146 level at baseline correlate with poor prognosis and may be useful for the prediction of clinical outcome in patients undergoing surgery for NSCLC.
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
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M
Ilie
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
E
E
Long
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France [3] Tumor Biobank, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
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V
Hofman
Tumor Biobank, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
E
E
Selva
Tumor Biobank, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
C
C
Bonnetaud
Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
J
J
Boyer
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Department of Thoracic Surgery, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
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N
Vénissac
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Department of Pneumology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
C
C
Sanfiorenzo
Inserm C3M, Archet II Hospital, Nice, France.
B
B
Ferrua
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Department of Pneumology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
C-H
CH
Marquette
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Department of Thoracic Surgery, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
J
J
Mouroux
1] IRCAN Inserm/CNRS Team 3, CLCC Centre Antoine Lacassagne, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France [2] Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France [3] Tumor Biobank, Pasteur Hospital, Nice, France.
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P
Hofman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D051929:CD146 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051929:CD146 Antigen; C497902:MCAM protein, human