ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between the expressions of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD, and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD were analyzed in 53 NSCLC and 12 control specimens by immunohistochemical assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 was significantly higher in NSCLC (58.5%) than that in normal lung tissue (16.7%), and also positively related with pathological characteristics (P = 0.021), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006), and clinical stage (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in NSCLC group was significantly lower than that in control group (22.3% vs 40.6% , P = 0.041). The positive expression of E-CD in NSCLC and control group was 32.1% and 91.7%, respectively, and negatively correlated with pathological characteristics (P = 0.010) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in control group was 19.9%, lower than that in NSCLC group (41.2%, P > 0.05), but the difference is not significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The overexpression of integrin alpha5 beta1 may contribute to lymph node metastasis and play an inverse role, while E-CD may be a beneficial prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC.</p>