The role of expression of Nrf2 in predicting chemoresistance and prognosis in advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving platinum-based first-line chemotherapy / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine the expression of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) protein in patients with NSCLC (advanced non-small cell lung cancer), and to elucidate the correlation of the expression level of Nrf2 with response to platinum-based first-line chemotherapy and the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 50 patients with chemotherapynaïve advanced NSCLC. All patients received platinum-based regimens as first-line chemotherapy. The expression level of Nrf2 protein in tumor specimens was detected by immunohistochemical analysis. The associations between Nrf2 expression with response to chemotherapy and the prognosis were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 statistical software. Results: The Nrf2 protein expression level in NSCLC patients exhibited interindividual differences and the positive rate was 34% (17/50). The positive-expression rate of Nrf2 was higher in patients with age ≥ 70 years (58.3%, 7/12) than that in patients with age < 70 years (26.3%, 10/38) (P = 0.041), which was also higher in patients with distant metastasis (46.7%, 14/30) than that in patients without metastasis (15.0%, 3/20) (P = 0.021). The expression of Nrf2 was correlated with age (r = 0.370, P = 0.020), distant metastasis (r = 0.289, P = 0.042), response to platinum-based chemotherapy (r = 0.315 P = 0.026), progression-free survival (r = -0.393, P = 0.006) and overall survival (r = -0.309, P = 0.029). Furthermore, the expression of Nrf2 was an independent predictive factor for response to platinum-based first-line chemotherapy and progression-free survival (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Nrf2 expression is an independent predictor of response to platinum-based first-line chemotherapy and the prognosis of patients with advanced NSCLC, and it may be helpful to select the appropriate chemotherapy regimen for advanced NSCLC. Copyright © 2012 by TUMOR.