Ectonucleotidase CD73 and CD39 expression in non-small cell lung cancer relates to hypoxia and immunosuppressive pathways.

Aims: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released at a high concentration in the tumor microenvironment. The overexpression of ectonucleotidases in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), metabolizing ΑΤP to the immunosuppressive adenosine, is studied.

Materials And Methods: We examined the expression of the ectonucleotidases CD73 and CD39 in NSCLC in parallel with immunological parameters and markers of hypoxia and anaerobic metabolism.