Notch1和Bmi-1蛋白在肺癌组织中的表达及意义

Expression and significance of Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein in lung cancer tissue

BACKGROUND: Studies have found that Notch pathway and Bmi-1 gene both have the ability to regulate stem cell self-renew. Functional dysfunction of the both may have a great relationship with tumorigenesis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein in lung tissue. METHODS: Eighty-seven lung cancer tissue samples (lung cancer group) and forty pathologically confirmed normal lung tissue samples (normal group) were obtained from related surgeries and included as research objects. The protein expression of Notch1 and Bmi-1 in specimens of these two groups was measured by immunohistochemistry SP method. The relationship between Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein expression and clinicopathological features of lung cancer patients was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The positive rate of Notch1, Bmi-1 protein expression was respectively 61% and 47%, which was significantly higher in the lung cancer group than that in the normal group (P < 0.05). In the lung cancer group, Notch1 protein expression was significantly positively correlated with Bmi-1 protein expression (r=0.567, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein expression rates between different genders and different pathological types of patients (P < 0.05). The Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein positive expression rates in poorly-differentiated, TNM stage III-IV lung cancer patients with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those in well- and moderately-differentiated, TNM stage I-II lung cancer patients without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that Notch1 and Bmi-1 protein may have certain relationship with the occurrence and development of lung cancer.