title: P2X7 protein expression and polymorphism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  P2X7, a purinergic receptor, plays important roles in inflammatory diseases, but recently its expression has been found in several tumors, suggesting a potential role as a cancer cell biomarker. Moreover, the relative amount of P2X7 varies among human individuals due to numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms resulting in either a loss- or gain-of-function; the P2X7 gene is highly polymorphic, and polymorphisms in the promoter or coding region may modify its expression or function. A polymorphism in exon 13 of the P2X7 receptor gene at the +1513 position (Glu496Ala substitution, corresponding to SNP rs3751143) has been shown to eradicate the function of this receptor and has been correlated with histological variants and clinical parameters in thyroid cancer. Until now, no data regarding P2X7 expression and polymorphisms in lung cancer have been published; based on these premises, we decided to evaluate the impact of the P2X7 expression and polymorphisms in ninety-seven cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference in the genotype frequency of the A1513C polymorphism was found between the two histological variants of NSCLC, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and no statistically significant associations were observed between P2X7 protein expression and the main clinico-pathological characteristics of the NSCLC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our results, P2X7 expression and polymorphisms seem to have no potential impact in patients with non-small cell lung cancer; however, further studies will surely provide deeper insights regarding the role of this receptor at the clinical level in NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56126 Pisa, Italy. laura.boldrini@med.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alì
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Servadio
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pelliccioni
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niccoli
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mussi
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fontanini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058486:Receptors, Purinergic P2X7