RESUMO
Objective: To investigate the relationship of nm23 and VEGF expression with hilar lymph node micrometastasis and the prognosis of stage Ⅰ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Immunohisto-chemistry was used to detect nm23 and VEGF protein expression in primary cancer tissue and cytokeratins in 86 hilar lymph nodes from 40 patients with stage Ⅰ NSCLC. Kaplan-meier method and Log rank test were used to analyze the 5-year survival. Results: The rate of positive hilar lymph node micrometastasis was 12.5% for stage Ⅰ NSCLC. Lymph node micrometastasis was not statistically correlated with gender, age, histologic type, differentiation, primary tumor size or VEGF protein expression (P>0.05). But it was reversely associated with nm23 protein expression in primary cancer tissue of NSCLC (P<0.05). The 5-year overall survival of pa-tients with well-differentiated NSCLC, positive nm23 expression and negative lymph node micrometastasis was better than those with moderately and poorly differentiated NSCLC, negative nm23 expression and posi-tive lymph node micrometastasis (P<0.05). Lymph node micrometastasis and nm23 protein expression were identified as two independent prognostic factors for stage Ⅰ NSCLC by univariate Cox regression analysis.Conclusion: nm23 protein expression in pdmary cancer tissue of stage Ⅰ NSCLC is closely associated with hi-lar lymph node micrometastasis, nm23 protein and hilar lymph node micrometastasis are two independent prognostic factors for stage Ⅰ NSCLC. Patients with nm23 protein deletion and positive lymph node microme-tastasis have a poor prognosis.