Prognostic relevance of TTF-1 and MMP-9 expression in advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is a tissue-specific transcription factor that could play an important role in cell differentiation and morphogenesis of lung tumors. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a protease commonly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer, conferring angiogenic and metastatic potential.

Methods: We assessed TTF-1 and MMP-9 tumor expression by immunohistochemistry in 51 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, stage IIIB or IV, treated with platinum regimens.

Nuclear and environment morphometric profile in tumor size and nodal metastasis of resected typical pulmonary carcinoid.

As the biologic behavior in lung tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation is highly dependent on cell death (apoptosis) and extracellular matrix invasion, Bcl2 and extracellular matrix density have been targeted as potentially useful tumor markers. In this study, we sought to validate the importance of Bcl2 and ECM density and to study the relationships of Bcl2 and ECM density with clinical factors and other tumor or stromal markers. We examined Bcl2 and several other markers in tumor tissues from 55 patients with surgically excised pulmonary typical carcinoid.

Morphometric evaluation of tumor matrix metalloproteinase 9 predicts survival after surgical resection of adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Purpose: Recently, several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have shown promise as prognosticators in non-small cell lung cancer. In this study, we sought to validate the importance of MMP-9 and to study the relationships between MMP-9 and several other tumor or stromal markers.

Experimental Design: We examined MMP-9 and several other markers in tumor tissues from 152 patients with surgically excised adenocarcinomas of the lung.