title: ASC amino-acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) as a novel prognostic marker in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ASC amino-acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) is a major glutamine transporter that has an essential role in tumour growth and progression. Although ASCT2 is highly expressed in various cancer cells, the clinicopathological significance of its expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and four patients with surgically resected NSCLC were evaluated as one institutional cohort. Tumour sections were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ASCT2, Ki-67, phospho-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), and CD34 to assess the microvessel density. Two hundred and four patients with NSCLC were also validated by IHC from an independent cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ASC amino-acid transporter 2 was expressed in 66% of patients, and was closely correlated with disease stage, lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, CD98, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and mTOR phosphorylation, particularly in patients with adenocarcinoma (AC). Moreover, two independent cohorts confirmed that ASCT2 was an independent marker for poor outcome in AC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASC amino-acid transporter 2 expression has a crucial role in the metastasis of pulmonary AC, and is a potential molecular marker for predicting poor prognosis after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Visceral Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan [2] Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaira
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, NHO Nishi-Gunma Hospital, 2854 Kanai Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sunaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, NHO Nishi-Gunma Hospital, 2854 Kanai Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oriuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Imaging, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.affiliation: Division of Bio-system Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagamori
authors.affiliation: Division of Bio-system Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Visceral Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takeyoshi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; C420506:SLC1A5 protein, human