Tuberc Respir Dis.  2008 May;64(5):362-368. 10.4046/trd.2008.64.5.362.

The Clinical and Histopathologic Features according to Loss of LKB1 Protein Expression on Primary Lung Cancer

• Hwang KE
• Jo HJ
• Lee KK
• Shim H
• Song JS
• Shin JH
• Shin SN
• Park SH
• Hong KM
• Park JH
• Jeong JH
• Kim HJ
• Kim HR
• Yang SH
• Jeong ET

• KMID: 1478192
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2008.64.5.362

Abstract

BACKGROUND: LKB1(STK11) is a serine/threonine kinase that functions as a tumor growth suppressor. The functions of LKB1 in lung cancer are not completely understood. This study evaluated the relationship between LKB1 protein expression and the clinicopathological features in lung cancer tissues.
METHODS
The expression of LKB1 was studied in paraffin-embedded tumor blocks, which were obtained from 77 patients who had undergone surgery at Wonkwang University Hospital. The expression of the LKB1 protein was considered positive if the staining intensity in the tumor tissue adjacent to the normal airway epithelium was >30%.
RESULTS
The LKB1 expression was positive in 31 (40%) of samples. Loss of LKB1 expression was significantly associated with being male, smoking history, and squamous cell carcinoma. In the peripheral sites, the loss of LKB1 expression was strongly associated with a smoking history. A loss of LKB1 expression was more frequently associated with progression according to TNM staging, particularly more than T2, N progression.
CONCLUSION
There was a significant relationship between the loss of the LKB1 protein and gender, smoking history, and histological type in primary lung cancer. Although LKB1 expression was not found to be a significant prognostic factor, further studies with a larger cohort of patient's lung cancer tissue samples will be needed to confirm this.

Keyword

LKB1; Gender; Smoking; Lung cancer

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cohort Studies
Epithelium
Humans
Lung
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Neoplasm Staging
Phosphotransferases
Smoke
Smoking
Phosphotransferases
Smoke

Figure

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  Figure 1 LKB1 protein expression. Positive reaction (arrow head) to LKB1 antigen stain in normal epithelium (A, Hematoxylin counterstain, ×400). Strong positivity (arrow head) to LKB1 antigen in bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma (BAC) (B, Hematoxylin counterstain, ×400). NE: normal epithelium.

• 

  Figure 2 Kaplan-Meier survival curves for overall survival.

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