The Clinical Significance Of The Expression Of Livin In Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: It has been suggested that progression of non-small cell lung cancer may be regulated at the molecular level by a typical pattern of expression of genes involved in apoptosis. Recently, Livin belonging to the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family, has been found to be expressed in most solid tumors, where its expression is suggested to have prognostic significance. No data are available concerning the significance of Livin in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer. Objective: Livin, including two isomers of Livinαand Livinβ, inhibits apoptosis mainly by inhibiting caspase activity of caspase 3,7,9. Livin has been found to be expressed in most solid tumors, where its expression is suggested to have prognostic significance,and may serve as a new target for treatment.Our study is to detect the expression of Livin in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to explore the relationship between Livin expression and NSCLC histological types.Methods: Seventy-two samples from the patients by means of surgery,were analysized in this experiment, of which NSCLC 48 cases, para-cancerous, benign disease lung tissues and normal lung tissues 8 cases respectively.Livin-mRNA and protein expression levels in NSCLC tissues were detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (real-time qRT-PCR) and western-blot assay respectively.One-Way ANOVA analysis was performed for the comparison of data from the expression of livin gene, and SPSS11.3 were used for statistical analysis.Results: Livin-mRNA and protein expressed in non-small cell lung cancer tissues, barely expressed in para-cancerous or benign disease or normal lung tissues . Livin expression has no significant relationship with clinically pathological characteristics of lung cancer patients. The Livin-mRNA△△Ct value was 12.520±0.417, 12.761±0.365 and 12.492±0.334 in para-cancerous, benign disease lung tissues and normal lung tissues respectively, it was higher in lung cancer tissues acceptted preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy (Livin-mRNA△△Ct value 0.074±0.318), which was considered to be statistical significance with that of not (Livin-mRNA△△Ct value 1.279±0.364 ). Livin protein expression levels in NSCLC tissues were detected by western-blot assay, with which livin protein expression could be detected while the△△Ct value of the samples were less than 1, and the expression levels related to the△△Ct value. Livin protein was not expressed in para-cancerous, benign disease or normal lung tissues.Conclusion: Livin expressed in non-small cell lung cancer, had no significant relationship with clinically pathological characteristics of lung cancer patients. Livin expressed higher levels in NSCLC tissues while acceptting preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The overexpression of livin may be one of inherent biological characteristics of NSCLC, Livin gene may play a role in NSCLC development and in apoptosis resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and may serve as a new target for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.