title: Apolipoprotein C1 (APOC1) as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for lung cancer: A marker phase I trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor cells continuously evolve over time in response to host pressures. However, explanations as to how tumor cells are influenced by the inflammatory tumor microenvironment over time are, to date, poorly defined. We hypothesized that prognostic biomarkers could be obtained by exploring the expression of inflammation-associated genes between early and late stage lung cancer tumor samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Candidate inflammation-associated genes, apolipoprotein C-1 (APOC1), MMP1, KMO)1, CXCL5, CXCL)7, IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Gene expression profiles and immunofluorescence staining of 30 lung cancer tissues were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expressions of APOC1 and IL-6 mRNA on tumor tissues in late stage disease were significantly higher than in early stage lung cancer samples. Immunofluorescence staining of tumor samples showed that the expression of APOC1 gradually increased from early to late stage in lung cancer patients. The expression levels of IL-6 and APOC1 in tumor samples were positively correlated; however, no prognostic value of APOC1 can be identified in serum samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that the level of tumor APOC1 was highly expressed in late stage lung cancer. Further research is warranted to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the cross talk of APOC1 and IL-6 in tumor progression. An expanded sample size marker phase II study may lead to the discovery of new lung cancer therapeutics targeting APOC1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hui-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Weng-Lam
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mau-Shin
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kwan-Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Jyh
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kao
keywords: APOC1; RT-PCR; gene-expression profiling; inflammation-associated genes; lung cancer