title: Prognostic implications of ezrin and phosphorylated ezrin expression in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cytoskeletal organizer ezrin is a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family and plays important roles in not only cell motility, cell adhesion, and apoptosis, but also in various cell signaling pathways. Phosphorylation at Thr-567 and Tyr-353 are key regulatory events in the transition of the dormant to active form of ezrin. This study investigated the prognostic implications of ezrin and phosphorylated ezrin (p-ezrin) expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ezrin and p-ezrin protein expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry in 150 NSCLC and adjacent non-tumor tissues and 14 normal lung tissues. qRT-PCR was used to determine ezrin mRNA expression levels in fresh tissues. The correlations between overexpression of ezrin and p-ezrin and the clinicopathological features of NSCLC were analyzed. The survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method for 108 NSCLC cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ezrin and ezrinThr-567 proteins showed cytosolic and membranous staining patterns; however, ezrinTyr-353 protein only showed cytosolic staining. Ezrin and p-ezrin were significantly upregulated in NSCLC compared with the normal counterparts. Increased ezrin, ezrinThr-567, and ezrinTyr-353 levels were correlated with the late stage and poor differentiation of NSCLC. However, only ezrinThr-567 was correlated with the presence of lymph node metastasis. In regard to survival, only ezrinThr-567 was related with the overall survival time of patients with NSCLC, and both ezrin and ezrinThr-567 were associated with shortened survival time for patients with early stage NSCLC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ezrin and p-ezrin, especially ezrinThr-567, may prove to be useful as a novel prognostic biomarker of NSCLC.
authors.forename: Tiefeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jingchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Songnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yingshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Cancer Research Center, Yanbian University Medical College, Yanji 133002, China. xim918@sina.com.
authors.forename: Xionghu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D000099149:Ezrin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D000099149:Ezrin