The basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptor in pulmonary adenocarcinomas: an investigation of their expression as prognostic markers

• Published in: European journal of cancer (1990) 1996-08, Vol.32 (9), p.1504-1509
• Main Authors: Takanami, I., Tanaka, F., Hashizume, T., Kikuchi, K., Yamamoto, Y., Yamamoto, T., Kodaira, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - metabolism; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adult; Aged; basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF); Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Female; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - metabolism; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; immunohistochemical staining; Immunohistochemistry; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; prognostic marker; proliferation; pulmonary adenocarcinoma; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor - metabolism; Survival Rate; type I basic fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR-1)
• ISSN: 0959-8049; 1879-0852
• DOI: 10.1016/0959-8049(95)00620-6

The expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its receptor, the high-affinity type I basic fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR-1), were immunohistologically studied in tissues specimens from 167 patients with a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Of the 167 specimens, 82 (49%) expressed bFGF and 104 (62%) expressed FGFR-1. bFGF and FGFR-1 were simultaneously expressed in 72 (43%). It was also found that many patients who showed intensely positive staining for bFGF were also positive for FGFR-1, and that the expression of bFGF or FGFR-1 or both was associated with p-stage, T and N factors. The overall prognosis was significantly poorer in the bFGF-positive or FGFR-1-positive patients than in negative patients ( P < 0.01). The prognosis was also significantly poorer in all patients positive for both bFGF and FGFR-1 than in those negative for both ( P < 0.01); this was also true for stage I patients ( P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that bFGF had a significant affect on prognosis, whereas FGFR-1 did not. As FGFR-1 is significantly linked with the bFGF expression, it may be that FGFR-1 interferes with the bFGF effect on survival. These findings suggest that bFGF and FGFR-1 play important roles in tumour progression, and that bFGF expression may be a useful prognostic marker for pulmonary adenocarcinomas.