The EMT status in the primary tumor does not predict postoperative recurrence or disease-free survival in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important contributor to the invasion and metastasis of epithelial cell-derived cancer. However, whether or not the expression of EMT-related molecules can be used as a biomarker for the prognosis of lung cancer has yet to be fully determined. PATIENTS AND METHODS Tumor specimens were collected from 183 consecutive patients who underwent a complete resection for lung adenocarcinoma. We analyzed the E-cadherin, gamma-catenin, vimentin, and fibronectin expression levels in the primary lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS A positive expression of E-cadherin, gamma-catenin, vimentin, and fibronectin was observed in 94 (51.4%), 82 (40.4%), 32 (17.5%) and 1 (0.5%) patient, respectively. A significant association between E-cadherin expression and the pathological stage, T status, N status, tumor grade, and carcinoembryonic antigen was identified. The rate of gamma-catenin positivity was higher in patients with a smoking history than in never smokers. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between vimentin expression and the pathological stage, N status, and tumor grade. However, an association between EMT-related molecules and postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma is lacking. Based on a Kaplan-Meier analysis, the expression of EMT-related molecules is not associated with the survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients. CONCLUSION The EMT status in the primary tumor does not predict postoperative recurrence or disease-free survival in lung cancer patients. Our findings indicate that immunocytochemical markers related to EMT do not provide relevant prognostic information about lung adenocarcinoma. Future research is therefore expected to clarify the clinical usefulness of EMT-related molecules.

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