RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a promising biomarker for cancer prognosis and monitoring. Molecular characterizing of CTCs could provide beneficial information on the basis of CTCs counting. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes and GALC mRNA expression of CTCs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: We analyzed the baseline number, EMT classification, and GALC expression of CTCs in 47 NSCLC patients using CanPatrol platform and RNA in situ hybridization technique. RESULTS: CTCs were detected in 91.5% patients ranging 0-47/5 mL blood. Increased CTCs were associated with advanced tumor stages (6/5 mL) compared with early stages (3.5/5 mL). Patients with effective treatment response presented lower CTCs (3.5/5 mL) than patients with insufficient response (7/5 mL). Epithelial, hybrid and mesenchymal CTCs were detected in 55.4%, 78.7% and 61.7% patients, respectively. Patients with distant metastasis and poor curative outcomes presented higher level of EMT-CTCs. GALC expression was positive in CTCs of 80.6% patients and closely correlated with tumor number and distant metastasis and treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: EMT phenotypes and GALC expression of CTCs are correlated with cancer metastasis and therapeutic outcomes, suggesting them to be potential markers for the prognosis of NSCLC.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/diagnóstico , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal/genética , Galactosilceramidase/genética , Expressão Gênica , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes , Adulto , Idoso , Biomarcadores Tumorais , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/mortalidade , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/mortalidade , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Metástase Neoplásica , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Fenótipo , Prognóstico , RNA Mensageiro/genéticaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study the relation of tumor interstitial T lymphocyte subset activity to the clinical staging of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the immune response. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) (regulatory T cells, Treg) T cells was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues from 60 NSCLC cases. RESULTS: Compared to stage I/II NSCLC patients, patients in stage III/IV showed a significant decrease in the percentage of CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells (P<0.05) and an increase in CD8(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) T cells (P<0.05). Treg cells were enriched in the tumor tissue as compared with those in the adjacent tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells is positively correlated to the clinical staging of NSCLC, in which T cell-mediated immune response is suppressed.
