DYRK2 expression may be a predictive marker for chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The possibility of a dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase gene, DYRK2, predicting benefit from chemotherapy for patients with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with recurrent disease after surgery received several combinations of platinum-based chemotherapy. The chemotherapy effectiveness was evaluated according to RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors). Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was used to determine the expression of DYRK2.

Results: Although the response rates between the two groups did not show statistical differences, the disease control rate of the DYRK2-positive group (15 out of 17, 88%) was significantly different from the DYRK2-negative group (8 out of 23, 35%, p=0.001). The median time to the progression (TTP) of disease was significantly different between the two groups (310 days in the positive group, 120 days in the negative, HR=2.12, 95% CI=[1.1-4.09], p=0.024). Multivariate analysis showed that negative DYRK2 expression was a strong predictor of disease progression (HR=3.01, 95% CI=[1.45-6.26], p=0.003).

Conclusion: Patients with high DYRK2 expression could be good candidates for chemotherapy.