Clinical significance of SOX9 in human non-small cell lung cancer progression and overall patient survival

• Published in: Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research 2012-03, Vol.31 (1), p.18-18, Article 18
• Main Authors: Zhou, Chun-Hui, Ye, Li-Ping, Ye, Shi-Xing, Li, Yan, Zhang, Xin-Yin, Xu, Xin-Yu, Gong, Li-Yun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - metabolism; Adenocarcinoma - mortality; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Aged; Biomarker; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous - metabolism; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous - mortality; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous - pathology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - metabolism; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - mortality; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemotherapy; Data collection; Development and progression; Disease Progression; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Hospitals; Humans; Lung - cytology; Lung - metabolism; Lung cancer; Lung cancer, Non-small cell; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - mortality; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Messenger RNA; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Neoplasm Staging; Non-small cell lung cancer; Patient outcomes; Physiological aspects; Polymerase chain reaction; Prognosis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Science; SOX9; SOX9 Transcription Factor - genetics; SOX9 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Studies; Survival Analysis; Transcription factors; Tumors
• ISSN: 1756-9966; 0392-9078; 1756-9966
• DOI: 10.1186/1756-9966-31-18

Sex determining region Y (SRY)-related high mobility groupbox 9 (SOX9) is an important transcription factor required for development, which regulates the expression of target genes in the associated pathway. The aim of this study was to describe the expression of SOX9 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to investigate the association between SOX9 expression and progression of NSCLC. SOX9 protein and mRNA expression in normal human pneumonocytes, lung cancer cell lines, and eight pairs of matched lung cancer tissues and their adjacent normal lung tissues were detected by Western blotting and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry was used to determine SOX9 protein expression in 142 cases of histologically characterized NSCLC. Statistical analyses were applied to test for prognostic and diagnostic associations. SOX9 in lung cancer cell lines was upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels, and SOX9 mRNA and protein were also elevated in NSCLC tissues compared with levels in corresponding adjacent non-cancerous lung tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a high expression of SOX9 in 74/142 (52.1%) paraffin-embedded archival lung cancer biopsies. Statistical analysis indicated that upregulation of SOX9 was significantly correlated with the histological stage of NSCLC (P=0.017) and that patients with a high SOX9 level exhibited a shorter survival time (P