title: The expression ofSALL4is significantly associated withEGFR, but notKRASorEML4-ALKmutations in lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide; unfortunately, its prognosis is still very poor. Therefore, developing the target molecular is very important for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially in the early stage. With this in view, spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4) is considered a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in cancers, including lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to better investigate the association between the expression ofSALL4and driver genes mutation, 450 histopathologically diagnosed patients with lung cancer and 11 non-cancer patients were enrolled to test the expression ofSALL4and the status of driver genes mutation. This investigation included epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), and a fusion gene of the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the study showed that females harbored moreEGFRmutation in adenocarcinoma (ADC). The mutation rate ofKRASandEML4-ALKwas about 5%, and the double mutations ofEGFR/EML4-ALKwere higher thanEGFR/KRAS. In the expression analysis, the expression ofSALL4was much higher in cancer tissues than normally expected, especially in tissues that carriedEGFRmutation (P<0.05), however, there were no significant differences between different mutation types. Likewise, there were no significant differences between expression ofSALL4andKRASandEML4-ALKmutations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SALL4is up regulated in lung cancer specimens and harborsEGFRmutation; this finding indicates thatSALL4expression may be relevant withEGFR, which could provide a new insight to lung cancer therapy. The mechanism needs further investigation and analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
authors.forename: Xiangbo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Henan Provincial Chest Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
authors.forename: Rulin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Henan Provincial Chest Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
keywords: EML4-ALK; Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); SALL4 expression; kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS); lung cancer