Phase I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Osteopontin And Cd44v6 Expression And Its Relationship With Lymph Node Micrometastasis,

Objective To investigate the relationship between Osteopontin (OPN),CD44v6 expression and the occurrence and metastasis of stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its clinical significance.Methods The expressions of OPN and CD44v6 were determined by S-P immunohistochemistry to evaluate their effects on tumorigenesis and progression in 65 cases with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer tissues, of which 43 cases with micrometastasis of lymph nodes, and 42 cases inflammatory pseudotumor,which were used as control. At the same time, S-P immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of CD44v6 above the same samples. The study was designed to detect occult micrometastatic tumor cells in the lymph node in stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients using multicytokeratin(MCK) as a micrometastatic marker.Results The rate of OPN protein expression in stage I non-small-cell lung cancer , inflammatory pseudotumor were 70.8%, 9.5%, respectively. Statistic analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the lung cancer group and the inflammatory pseudotumor group (p<0.001). The rates of OPN protein expression in stage I non-small-cell lung cancer tissues with micrometastasis of lymph nodes were 86.0%, the expression levels of OPN protein were closely associated with lung cancer micrometastasis of lymph nodes (p<0.001).The rate of CD44v6 protein expression in stage I non-small-cell lung cancers, inflammatory pseudotumor were 58.5%, 11.9%,respectively. The rate of CD44v6 protein expression in stage I non-small-cell lung cancers with micrometastasis of lymph nodes were 74.4%. The expression of OPN protein was positively correlated to the expression of CD44v6, r=0.625 (P<0.001).Conclusions Both OPN and CD44v6 may be involved in the genesis, developing and metastasis of stage I non-small-cell lung cancers . Those with high expression of OPN protein have the potentiality to metastasis. The detection of their expression may be used as an evaluating metastasis marker in patients with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.