P0143 ASC amino acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) as a novel prognostic marker in non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

Background ASC amino acid transporter-2 (ASCT2) is a major glutamine transporter that has an essential role in tumour growth and progression. Although ASCT2 is highly expressed in various cancer cells, the clinicopathological significance of its expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Methods One hundred and four patients with surgically resected NSCLC were evaluated as one institutional cohort. Tumour sections were stained by immunohistochemistry for ASCT2, Ki-67, phospho-mTOR, and CD34 to assess the microvessel density. Two hundred and four patients with NSCLC were also validated by immunohistochemistry from an independent cohort. Findings ASCT2 was expressed in 66% of patients, and was closely correlated with disease stage, lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, CD98, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and mTOR phosphorylation, particularly in patients with adenocarcinoma. Moreover, two independent cohorts confirmed that ASCT2 was an independent marker for poor outcome in patients with adenocarcinoma. Interpretation ASCT2 expression has a crucial role in the metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, and is a potential molecular marker for predicting poor prognosis after surgery.