Abstract
Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Prominin-1 (CD133) in cancer cells and its potential value as a prognostic indicator of survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Cancerous tissues and matched normal tissues adjacent to the carcinoma from 239 NSCLC patients were obtained immediately after surgery. Immunohistochemistry of tissue microarrays was used to characterize the expression of CD133 in NSCLC and adjacent tissues. The correlation of CD133 expression with clinical characteristics and prognosis was determined by statistical analysis. Results. CD133 protein expression levels in both the cytoplasm and nucleus were significantly higher in NSCLC tissues compared with corresponding peritumoral tissue (P < 0.05). CD133 expression in the nucleus of NSCLC cells was related to tumor diameter (P = 0.027), tumor differentiation (P < 0.001), and TNM stage (P = 0.007). Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses revealed that high CD133 expression in the nucleus was an independent predictor of poor prognosis of NSCLC, as was high cytoplasmic CD133 expression (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Our findings provide the first evidence that high expression of CD133 in both the nucleus and cytoplasm is associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC.
Highlights
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide [1, 2]
We explore the nuclear localization of CD133 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors compared with adjacent tissues and examine the correlation between nuclear localization of CD133 and patient prognosis
High CD133 expression was detected in 57.30% (137/239) of NSCLC samples, compared with 26.02% (32/123) of adjacent matched tumor tissues
Summary
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide [1, 2]. Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have a high morbidity and mortality rate and account for 80–85% of all lung cancers, which include adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, and large cell undifferentiated carcinomas [2]. Surgical removal remains the best curative option for patients with early-stage NSCLC. Despite recent advances in cancer treatment, the prognosis for those with NSCLC remains poor, with a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 15% [3, 4]. Much work towards molecular-targeted therapy for lung cancer has occurred in recent years. The identification of genetic alterations that drive cancer progression and the application of targeted therapy have prolonged survival of NSCLC patients [5]
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