Expression Of Granulocyte Colony-stimulating Factor Receptor And Its Role In Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is a kind of hematopietic growth factor which is produced by monocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor acts on neutrophilic progenitor cells by binding to specific cell surface receptors, thereby stimulates proliferation, differentiation, commitment, and selected end-cell functional activation including enhanced phagocytic ability, priming of the cellular metabolism associated with respiratory burst, antibody dependent killing and the increased expression of some functions associated with cell surface antigens, Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is effective and safe for treatment of neutropenia. At present, Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor is not only presented in hematopoietic cells, but also in other organs. The reactive of tumor cells to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor also point out that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor may has some undiscovered functions.Objective To investigate expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor in non-small cell lung cancer and its function in the occurrence and development of non-small cell lung cancer.Methods Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in sixty specimens of non-small cell lung cancer and fifteen of lung benign lesionss. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor in adenocarcinoma of lung cell line A549 was analyzed using flow cytometry by a propidium iodide method. The effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to the proliferation of the A549 cell line was observed by BRDU-marking method. The effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to the apoptosis of A549 cells was detected by annexin V-FITC/PI method.Results Immucohistochemical analyses revealed that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor was expressed in the NSCLC and it appeared to be up-regulated compared with the lung benign lesionss. The results of the statistical analysis presentationed no relationship between the expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor and the age,gender, tumor stage and lymphatic metastasi(sP =0.520,P=0.438,P=0.179 and P=0.246),and a correlation was found between granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor expression and tumor size(P=0.046). Flow cytometry showed granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor was high expressed in A549 cell line, recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor had no effect on the growth of the A549 cells but it inhibited its apoptosis.Conclusion Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor is frequently expressed in non-small cell lung cancer and its expression is related with tumor size, thus supporting a hypothesis that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor plays a role in the inhibition of the cell apoptosis, thereby, contribute to the occurrence and development of tumor.