[The expression and clinical significance of HIF-1α, COX-2 and E-cadherin in patients with lung adenocarcinoma].

Background And Objective: The incidence of lung adenocarcinoma increases rapidly, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), E-cadherin play an important role in the proliferation and differentiation of cancer cell. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance of the expression of HIF-1α, COX-2, E-cadherin in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and the internal relationship among them.

Methods: The expression levels of HIF-1α, COX-2 and E-cadherin were determined in 10 cases of normal lung issue and in 45 cases of issue of lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemical method.

Results: The positive expression rate of HIF-1α and COX-2 was 60% (27/45) and 40% (18/45) respectively in 45 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, was null in 10 cases of normal lung issue. The positive expression rate of E-cadherin was 48.9% (22/45) in 45 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, was 100% in 10 cases of normal lung issue. The expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with the size of the cancer (P < 0.05), but not with age, smoking, lymphatic metastasis, differentiated degree and surgical-pathologic staging (P > 0.05). The expression of COX-2 was positively correlated with the size of the cancer, lymphatic metastasis, surgical-pathologic and expression of HIF-1α (P < 0.05), but not with age, smoking and differentiated degree (P > 0.05). The expression of E-cadherin was positively correlated with differentiated degree and lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05), but not with age, smoking, the size of the cancer, surgical-pathologic and expression of HIF-1α (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The overexpression of HIF-1α and COX-2 and the downregulation of E-cadherin is found in lung adenocarcinoma. The overexpression of HIF-1α may induce the overexpression of COX-2, and is non-correlated with expression of E-cadherin.