Abstract

BackgroundEphrin (Eph) receptors are frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of human malignant tumors, being associated with tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of EphA1, A4, A5 and A7 protein expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).MethodsEphA1, A4, A5 and A7 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically in tissue microarrays of 88 surgically resected NSCLC and was analyzed in relation with clinicopathological characteristics and patients’ survival.ResultsElevated EphA4 expression was significantly associated with low histopathological stage and presence of inflammation (p = 0.047 and p = 0.026, respectively). Elevated EphA7 expression was significantly associated with older patients’ age, presence of fibrosis and smaller tumor size (p = 0.036, p = 0.029 and p = 0.018, respectively). EphA1, A5 and A7 expression were positively associated with tumor proliferative capacity (p = 0.047, p = 0.002 and p = 0.046, respectively). Elevated EphA4, A5 and A7 expression were identified as predictors of favourable patients’ survival at both univariate (Log-rank test, 0 = 0.019, p = 0.006 and p = 0.012, respectively) and multivariate levels (Cox-regression analysis, p = 0.029, p = 0.068 and p = 0.044, respectively).ConclusionsThe present study supported evidence that Ephs may be involved in lung cancer progression, reinforcing their utility as clinical biomarkers for patients’ management and prognosis, as also as potential targets for future therapeutic interventions.

Highlights

  • Ephrin (Eph) receptors are frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of human malignant tumors, being associated with tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis

  • Clinical Material Eighty-eight non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) specimens obtained from equal number of patients who underwent surgical resection due to lung cancer were included in this study

  • A slightly increased incidence of moderate/high EphA1 expression was observed in NSCLC cases of low histopathological stage, as well as in those presenting absence of distant metastasis (Table 1)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Ephrin (Eph) receptors are frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of human malignant tumors, being associated with tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Eph/ephrin signaling have been considered to participate in a wide spectrum of developmental processes, being capable of regulating cellular adhesion, migration or chemo-repulsion and tissue/cell boundary formation [4,6]. Beyond their initial role in developmental processes, Ephs and ephrins have been involved in a broad range of processes directly related with tumor progression and metastasis, including cell attachment and shape, migration and angiogenesis [7,8,9,10,11]. Eph/ephrin system has been considered as attractive targets for drug design, as targeting these molecules could simultaneously inhibit several aspects of tumor growth and progression [7,8,9,10,11]

Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call