Expression of prostate-specific membrane antigen in lung cancer cells and tumor neovasculature endothelial cells and its clinical significance.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been found in tumor neovasculature endothelial cells (NECs) of non-prostate cancers and may become the most promising target for anti-tumor therapy. To study the value of PSMA as a potential new target for lung cancer treatment, PSMA expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tissues and its relationship with clinicopathology were investigated in the current study.

METHODS:

Immunohistochemistry was used to detect PSMA expression in a total of 150 lung specimens of patients with lung cancer. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses.

RESULTS:

The percentages of NSCLC patients who had PSMA (+) tumor cells and PSMA (+) NECs were 54.02% and 85.06%, respectively. The percentage of patients younger than 60 years old who had PSMA (+) tumor cells was 69.05%, which was significantly greater than the percentage of patients aged 60 years or older (40.00%, p<0.05). A significant difference was observed in the percentage of NSCLC patients with PMSA (+) NECs and stage I or II cancer (92.98%) and those patients with stage III or IV cancer (76.77%). In the SCLC tissues, NEC PSMA expression (70.00%) did not differ significantly from NSCLC. SCLC tumor cells and normal lung tissues cells were all negative. There was no significant correlation between the presence of PSMA (+) NECs in SCLC patients and the observed clinicopathological parameters.

CONCLUSIONS:

PSMA is expressed not only in NECs of NSCLC and SCLC but also in tumor cells of most NSCLC patients. The presence of PSMA (+) tumor cells and PSMA (+) NECs in NSCLC was negatively correlated with age and the clinicopathological stage of the patients, respectively.

• Authors: Hai-long Wang, Shao-shan Wang, Wen-hui Song, Yi Pan, Hai-peng Yu, Tong-guo Si, Yong Liu, Xiao-nan Cui, Zhi Guo
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 10 Issue 5 Pg. e0125924 ( 2015) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25978404 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Surface
• FOLH1 protein, human
• Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Antigens, Surface (genetics, metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (metabolism, pathology)
• Endothelial Cells (metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (genetics, metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lung (metabolism, pathology)
• Lung Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Neovascularization, Pathologic
• Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (metabolism, pathology)