Cancer Res Treat.  2004 Oct;36(5):303-307.

Expression of Caspase-3 and c-myc in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Yoo JY
• Kim CH
• Song SH
• Shim BY
• Jeong YJ
• Ahn MI
• Kim S
• Cho DG
• Jo MS
• Cho KD
• Cho HJ
• Kang SJ
• Kim HK

Abstract

PURPOSE
Caspase-3 is a cysteine protease that plays an important role in the process of apoptotic cell death, but little has been studied clinically on caspase-3 in lung cancer. Increased c-myc expression can result in mitosis or apoptosis, and its contribution to the pathogenesis and prognosis of lung cancer has gained interest. In the present study, the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc, along with their possible correlations with prognostic variables, were analyzed in resected non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Archival tumor tissues from 147 previously untreated NSCLC patients were examined by immunohistochemistry for the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc proteins. Clinical information was obtained through the computerized retrospective database from the tumor registry. RESULTS: The expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc were detected in 60 (88/147) and 16% (24/147) of tumors, respectively. No association was found between caspase-3 and c-myc expressions. A multivariate analysis demonstrated the N status and pathologic stage to be significantly correlated with poor survival (p-value=.018 and .002, respectively), but positive expression of caspase-3 was associated with a good prognosis (p=.03). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest the involvement of caspase-3 in the tumorigenesis of NSCLC. It is also noteworthy that caspase-3 expression might be a favorable prognostic indicator in these tumors.

Keyword

Caspase-3; c-myc; Lung cancer

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis
Carcinogenesis
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung*
Caspase 3*
Cell Death
Cysteine Proteases
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lung
Lung Neoplasms
Mitosis
Multivariate Analysis
Prognosis
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
Retrospective Studies
Caspase 3
Cysteine Proteases
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Immunohistochemical staining of caspase-3 (A) and c-myc (B) in primary resected NSCLC. The majority of tumor cells show immunoreactivity in their cytoplasm with some nuclear staining (A), and intense nuclear immunostaining (B) (magnification × 100).

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  Fig. 2 Survival of patients with NSCLC according to the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc (Kaplan-Meier method).

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