ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the effect of DKK1 on linearly patterned programmed cell necrosis (LPPCN) and vasculogenic mim-icry (VM) and the related molecular mechanism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods:A total of 173 human NSCLC speci-mens were collected to detect LPPCN by H&E staining, detect VM with CD31/PAS double staining, and investigate DKK1 and related protein expression by immunohistochemistry. The clinical pathological significance of LPPCN, VM, and DKK1 and the correlation of them were analyzed. Human NSCLC H460-DKK1 cells were engrafed in nude mice to evaluate the influence of DKK1 up-regulation on VM and LPPCN in vivo. Results:Approximately, 14.45%(25/173) of NSCLC had VM and 49.71%(86/173) had LPPCN. 25.6%(22/86) of NSCLC cases in LPPCN-positive group formed VM. Both of VM and LPPCN were all correlated with poor differentiation, late TNM stage, easy recurrence and metastasis and poor prognosis in NSCLC. DKK1 expression in the VM-positive group and the LPPCN-positive group was higher than that in the VM-negative group and the LPPCN-negative group, respectively. DKK1, LPPCN, and VM were positive-ly correlated with VE-cadherin, MMP-2,β-catenin nuclear expression and Twist1. H460-DKK1 transplantation tumor model confirmed that DKK1 promotes the expression of VM and LPPCN and related proteins in NSCLC. Conclusion:The increase of theβ-catenin and Twist1 expression induced by DKK1 may promote the formation of LPPCN and VM in NSCLC.