title: Association between EML4-ALK fusion gene and thymidylate synthase mRNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer tissues.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the association of the mRNA expression of the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion gene with that of thymidylate synthase (TYMS) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of EML4-ALK fusion gene and TYMS mRNA in 257 cases of NSCLC. The positive rate of EML4-ALK fusion gene was 4.28% in the NSCLC tissues (11/257), and was higher in nonsmokers than in smokers (P<0.05); TYMS mRNA expression was detected in 63.42% (163/257) of cases. An association of the EML4-ALK fusion gene with TYMS expression was detected; a low expression level of TYMS mRNA was observed more frequently when the EML4-ALK fusion gene was present than when it was not detected (P<0.05). In conclusion, patients positive for the EML4-ALK fusion gene in NSCLC tissues are likely to have a low expression level of TYMS, and may benefit from the first-line chemotherapy drug pemetrexed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The General Military Hospital of Beijing PLA, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chun-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116622, P.R. China ; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia 014030, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wu-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116622, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116044, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing-Shan
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The General Military Hospital of Beijing PLA, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The General Military Hospital of Beijing PLA, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shanxi Dayi Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The People's Hospital of Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261041, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The General Military Hospital of Beijing PLA, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu-Wang
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dong-Dong
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Qi
keywords: EML4-ALK; individual treatment; molecular detection; non-small cell lung cancer; thymidylate synthase